Nightfall
by soulful-sin
Summary: Six months after Sheen steals the rocket, the JN gang has to a whodunit to solve- Sheen's murder. May contain J/C fluffiness depending on the author's discretion. Chapter 11 up! Finished.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I know, no more fics. Bad Bev. At any rate, I hope you guys enjoy this. I don't know how often I'll be able to update it.

Nightfall

Chapter One

Nothing moved. Within his chest, the air stagnated; he was too focused on the body, facedown in a growing pool of blood. Spots appeared before his eyes and his chest ached, reminding him he needed to breathe. Dorkus ignored the urge and waited to see whether he would stir and bounce back. The boy had an unpleasant ability to escape death. Considering the sheer amount of weapons he'd used, one would think death was inevitable.

Another thirty seconds and the boy did not move, did not flinch or wince. Satisfied, Dorkus inhaled deeply, coughing as it rattled in his lungs, and kicked the boy over so his sightless eyes stared at the ceiling. Clutched in the boy's hand was an atomic insignia on a small plate, which glowed red. The initials at the bottom read J.N.

Dorkus contemplated the initials for a second, kicked the boy in the head twice for good measure, and fled from the chamber. He needed to escape before morning, when the kingdom would be in an uproar.

* * *

Jimmy Neutron had spent the last six months unsuccessfully tracking his rogue rocket. It hadn't been finished when Sheen stole it and the tracking device was defunct. According to Vox's scans, the rocket had crashed into the surface of a planet, but beyond that, he had no information. Considering the vast amount of planets in the universe capable of sustaining life, he could spend eternity searching for Sheen and never locate him. His last hope was a chip he had implanted in the spacesuit that had so far been dormant. If Sheen was ever in true mortal peril, the chip should send out a low level frequency signal that would eventually reach Jimmy. It, like the rocket, was unfortunately not completely finished.

Sheen's family was frantic. His father begged Jimmy every day to bring Sheen back and Jimmy was doing his best but, as he'd explained, it might be easier for Sheen to come home than for Jimmy to retrieve him. Sheen's grandmother told Jimmy it was his inventions that had caused this.

What made matters worse was that Sheen's grandmother's sentiment was echoed by almost everyone in the town. The town had taken sides, one half deciding it wasn't Jimmy's fault Sheen was stupid enough to pilfer a rocket and take off. The other half had decided if Jimmy's security was better or he wasn't building those damn things in the first place, Sheen would be safe. The second half was determined to ruin what little happiness Jimmy had now. He would have thought Cindy would have instantly jumped to vilify him, but he was astonished to discover her adamantly defending him.

"You put up warning signs," she said. "You told him not to go into the lab that day. You warned him about the rocket for weeks. It's his own fault."

He was working on his homework with Vox monitoring things in the background. Life went on, even if people wanted to pretend it didn't. Scratching his head, he stared at the compound interest problem and wondered whom the teacher thought she was fooling. This was elementary, even for an advanced calculus. He was taking middle school classes on the side or had been until this calamity. Now he was taking them online.

Vox emitted a single plaintive shriek. Cindy, in the middle of reading a book for English class, dropped it and whirled around in the cushioned chair Jimmy had provided her. Cindy was a frequent visitor these days, along with Carl and Libby. Their small group had consolidated further. Carl was in the bathroom and Libby was listening to music, so neither of them had heard Vox.

"What the heck was that?" Cindy said.

"One second," he said and flipped to the background tab. Red letters flashed across the screen in a random order and it took a second for Jimmy to decipher them, because it was like the program itself had gone into a panic. The letters stopped flashing and settled. Cindy abandoned her chair to lean over Jimmy's shoulder. He could smell her apple blossom shampoo and a goofy smile settled on his face. Cindy reading aloud the warning wiped it off.

"Warning, subject's death imminent. Warning, all life systems…"

Vox beeped louder, prompting them to cover their ears, and Libby removed her ear buds in annoyance. Carl, toilet paper still on his right shoe, waddled into the room. Vox beeped once more, sounding mournful, and the message changed.

"Cannot read life systems. Repeat, life systems are not registering. Subject may be dead."

" 'May be'?" Cindy echoed. The shrill tone had ceased for the moment and Jimmy heard her beyond the pounding in her head.

"Jim, who's the subject?" Carl said quietly.

"Didn't you say you planted a chip in the spacesuit Sheen took?" Libby said. Her voice was soft, with an edge under the surface. She stepped forward and her eyes flashed. She shoved aside the cushioned chair she'd had and all three stood behind Jimmy's chair. Jimmy swallowed hard, shaking, and unable to grasp logic.

Jimmy's throat constricted.

"_Didn't you say you planted a chip in Sheen's spacesuit_?" Libby snarled and Jimmy's chest tightened too. He grabbed the armrests and dug his fingers into the palm rests. The warning message remained on the screen on top of his Calculus. The box had cut off the word 'result' from the question 'what is the end result?'

"I…I did…" Jimmy said faintly.

"Then Sheen…" Carl trailed off.

Libby grabbed Jimmy by the collar and snarled at him, "Sheen's dead, isn't he?"

Jimmy didn't answer.

"_Isn't he_?"

"I…there's a statistical probability the chip malfunctioned and it's misreporting Sheen's true state…" he said weakly. "It wasn't finished when Sheen-"

Libby slapped him across the face and dropped him back into the chair. "He's dead because he stole one of _your _stupid rockets."

"I didn't…it's not…" Jimmy's stomach cramped and he felt like he was going to vomit. Cold sweat sprang up on his brow and he missed the blow by blow between Cindy and Libby. Carl crept closer to Jimmy and stood at his right side.

"He's not dead, is he?" he murmured in a wounded voice with his forest green eyes wide behind his glasses.

Cindy and Libby stopped arguing and Carl's question fell into the awkward, pained silence.

"You wouldn't let Sheen die."

"Is he dead?" Cindy said in a softer voice, more conciliatory than usual. Jimmy had no idea how he looked, but it must have been awful to merit Cindy standing at his left side and squeezing his shoulder.

Jimmy swallowed several times. Goddard trotted up, produced a glass of water, and Jimmy swallowed past the large obstruction in his throat. He blinked several times and words fled him. Cindy cupped his chin and forced him to look up. He coughed, shuddered, and looked at Libby.

"Statistically speaking, it's unlikely he's still alive," he said. "The odds are about .02% the chip misfired."

The words hung in the air like the proverbial sword above the table and Jimmy's stomach cramped violently. He swallowed back the urge to vomit and shut his eyes. He couldn't stop shaking. Cindy's hand was warm in comparison, albeit dry. He drew little comfort from her ministrations. Behind his closed eyelids, he saw the message blinking and thought of the rocket Sheen had stolen.

"We're going there," Libby announced. ".02% is better than nothing."

In a bitter, broken voice, Jimmy said, ".02% is almost nothing."

"We're going there," she snapped. "So you'd better equip your rocket to fit all four of us. Or I'll steal one and go off myself."

Jimmy didn't mention the fallacies in her argument. He didn't mention that .02% was an optimistic guess, because there were few things truly impossible. He didn't mention how wretched he felt now, wondering if it really was his fault. People in the town had pointed out he was his best friend and therefore, should have realized Sheen was prone to ignoring orders and running roughshod over commands. They said it was like Jimmy had wanted Sheen to steal the rocket with his pathetic preventative measures. And the creeping doubt he had ignored whispered they were right. A deep shudder wracked him.

"It wouldn't be the first time Neutron's inventions didn't work right," Cindy said, more to convince Libby than because it was true. She knew the same as Jimmy did what had happened.

He curled into a ball and vomited, cracking an eye open to discover Goddard had produced a bucket. Once he was done, Goddard gave him a breath mint, let him wash his mouth out, and wiped his forehead. Jimmy was too weak to do more than incline his head in thanks.

"It doesn't…" Libby faltered and frowned. "It doesn't have to be right now. I mean, maybe someone else found him and he'll be okay."

The words stuck in his throat and he was grateful he couldn't speak them.

_He's dead, Libby_.


	2. Sunrise, Sunset

Author's Note: This chapter has been done since Monday, but I haven't had time to upload it until today. I hope you enjoy and please read and review. I only got one review last time. I'm not writing it for the reviews, but it's a trifle disappointing. XD

Chapter Two: Sunrise, Sunset

Finding him turned out, at long last, to be the easy part. The small chip had emitted a strong enough signal for Jimmy to finally track Sheen down, for whatever good that did. It couldn't verify whether Sheen was alive or dead, although Jimmy knew the answer. It sent chills down his spine; he had delegated the work on upgrading his rocket to accommodate his friends so he could focus on triangulating Sheen's planet. Cindy and Libby were in charge of upgrades, with Carl rushing to their bidding and hoping he was doing exactly what they wanted. Jimmy was hoping that too, but he was far more concerned with Sheen's state. He felt remiss in not locating him sooner and a little guilty, though he'd never admit it. Maybe subconsciously he had wanted Sheen to take the rocket, but he had never wanted him hurt. Sheen was his best friend…

His stomach knotted and he stared at the star map Vox had provided. Gruesome images filled his mind and he whirled the chair away, unable to deal with what he might have unleashed. Instead, he stared at Carl, quavering under Cindy's iron stare. Libby was agitated, rushing ahead and not using proper safety protocol.

"Look out!" he cried and grabbed her by the elbow to prevent her from melding her body to the rocket. Teeth bared, she hissed at him and Cindy turned the flame off. He could feel her trembling and guilt rose again, but he would deal with it later. This wasn't his fault. Even if it was, now was not the time to think about it.

"You have to be careful," he said. "I've deduced where Sheen is and how we should be able to get there, but there's no use in delaying things further by acting in haste."

Libby grimaced. She glared at him to snap again and Cindy jerked her head at her. Putting the blow torch safely back where it belonged, she folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm worried, okay? The first thing we've heard about Sheen in months and it's bad news," she said. "Who knows what could have happened to him?"

They lapsed into silence and Libby scowled at the rocket. Jimmy's heart was heavy and he thought of the signs he'd left him, the various warnings he'd given him leading up to the incident, and how Sheen had disregarded all of them. They were best friends. Surely Jimmy should have known better than to expect Sheen to stop at a few warnings. Surely he had known Sheen would disregard them and should have anticipated it, unless he had secretly wanted Sheen to blast off and perhaps…no…

"We can't assume anything," Jimmy said, swallowing hard. He grabbed the proper safety utensils and equipped the four of them. It should be five. His heart panged.

Cindy leaned over his shoulder. There was really no need, since she could see perfectly fine without standing close to him, but her presence comforted him. They exchanged a glance and he shivered, trying not to think about why they needed to blast off and amend the rocket right now. He closed his eyes and grimaced. Poor Sheen.

"_Poor Sheen!" They struggled to their feet and Jimmy's breath burned in his chest. His hands trembled minutely and he gritted his teeth. _

"_Poor Sheen? Poor us! He just used us to practice his 7-10 split!"_

"_But Sheen's still our friend, deep down…_"

Uncomfortable with the memory, Jimmy fidgeted and looked over the rocket. "I hope none of you had any plans for the weekend."

* * *

Sheen was unusually late for breakfast. Nesmith usually liked to have an early tea followed by crumpets and bread with butter. Normally, he ate them in his room and went downstairs to eat with Sheen and Doppi, since he preferred speaking to them on a full stomach. In addition to Sheen being a late riser, it was unusually quiet in the house. Nesmith had never heard Sheen awake and silent; the human child had an alarming tendency to run at the mouth. Perplexed, Nesmith folded his newspaper in half and dropped it upon the table.

Moving out of his bedroom, he called into the hallway, "Sheen?"

There was no response. Although Sheen liked to sleep until the sun was up for a full four hours, he was also a light sleeper. Frowning, Nesmith proceeded down the hall. There he heard a strange sound, a steady dripping, and his paws contacted with something wet and sticky. The substance was cold now and he grimaced, upset his immaculate fur was stained red. The thick liquid also sent chills down his back, but he didn't know why. Shuddering, he knocked on the door.

"Sheen? Sheen, it's past ten o'clock. You have an appointment with the emperor at noon, you know, and with the way you…" he trailed off. At this point, Sheen normally interrupted him and started rambling. He had expected it and heard it in his head before he realized there the sentiment echoed only in his head. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach and did not reside well with the food he had partaken earlier. He knocked on the door again.

"Sheen? Sheen? I must say, I'm growing a bit alarmed and if this is some elaborate prank, I am not amused," he said.

The heavy silence grew more ponderous and Nesmith scowled. "I am giving you until the count of ten to open this door."

His heart pounded in his ears and he thought he heard Doppi slithering around behind him.

"One."

Yes, Doppi was definitely nearby, but Doppi was the only creature Nesmith could hear. There wasn't even the telltale sound of Sheen's snoring or his alarm clock shrieking. Terror made his body leaden and he was tempted to skip the countdown and rush into the room. He hoped Sheen was all right. No matter how strange Sheen was he cared for him in his own way. They were friends, even if he hadn't exactly told him so.

"Two, two, three, four, five, six."

"You haven't heard from Sheen, have you?" Doppi asked, slithering behind him now. His green face was anxious. "I thought I heard a loud bang last night."

"I was just about to barge in there and ask him why he hadn't answered me," Nesmith said. "Shall we do it together?"

"I don't know…" Doppi said. "If he's hurt…"

Nesmith grimaced. Ah, yes, that was right, Doppi was a coward. Well, he wasn't feeling very brave himself right now, but that was no excuse. He would have to grin and bear it. And if Sheen had done something to knock himself out, he would have to grin and bear Nesmith berating him and then dragging him outside.

"Seven, eight, nine, ten!" Nesmith said. "Eleven, twelve, ah, never mind!"

He turned the knob and flicked on the light. Doppi screamed and bolted, leaving Nesmith's mind to make sense of what he saw. For a moment, his mind simply refused to cooperate and only showed him fragments. There was blood pooled on the floor about three feet; the sheets were tussled, not like Sheen had slept, but like there had been a fight. The pillows were on the floor beside Sheen's…his stomach cramped and he swallowed back bile. No, it couldn't possibly be. Nothing like this ever happened on Zeenu. Not that Nesmith was a foremost expert on the topic, since he had spent a majority of his time belowground until Sheen had arrived, but he refused to admit this.

The idea that someone had hated Sheen enough to hurt him, let alone kill him, brought the bile he had swallowed back to the surface. He turned and bolted down the hallway and his breakfast left him, along with his appetite for a very long time. He couldn't believe the body in there was Sheen, but his logic knew, even if his emotions refuted it. Grabbing the wall, he steadied himself and vomited again, until he was dry heaving. He sobbed.

Outside, Doppi was raising the hue and cry.

* * *

"We can't work anymore tonight," Jimmy said. "Trust me, I know. We have to rest-"

"Don't you have a machine that can accelerate time?" Libby retorted. "We could sleep for five minutes and turn it into eight hours."

"It's very dangerous to sleep in a suspended animation field," he said. "You might never wake up."

Libby glanced at Cindy, who shook her head.

"I'm with Neutron, as weird as it sounds," she said. "Plus, our parents are going to be worried about us if we spend all our time in the lab and don't come home."

"Are you going to be sleeping with the rest of us?" Libby said, fixing Jimmy a sharp eye. Jimmy grimaced and met her gaze, unable to stop thinking about why the chip had activated.

"I have no choice," he said and smiled humorlessly. "You need me."

"Damn straight," Libby said. "We'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

"Get a good night's sleep, Jimmy," Carl said and smiled at him. Jimmy inclined his head.

"Don't burn yourself out, Nerd-tron," Cindy teased. She cupped his cheek in her hand and then, waiting until Carl and Libby were looking away, she kissed him on the lips. "And don't get an even bigger ego than you already have."

"Tomorrow at eight," Libby said and Cindy stepped away. The quartet nodded and Jimmy winced. He hoped he could sleep with remorse gnawing at him. Goddard trotted up and whined at him. He saw his friends out and turned to his beloved pet.

"I know, boy, but what choice do I have?" he said. "Maybe you'd better give me a sedative or it's going to be a long night."


	3. Twixt Night and Day

Author's Note: Big thank you to my enthusiastic reviewer, chaylorfan4eve1995, and a thanks to anyone who might be reading this now. Please read and review.

I missed Planet Sheen this morning, lamentably, and am hoping someone will upload it tomorrow.

Chapter Three: Twixt Night and Day

The Emperor arrived about thirty minutes later. Nesmith worked to compose himself and thought he had established relative calm. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop grooming, a nervous habit. Aside from that and the way his hands shook, he thought he looked fine. He certainly didn't look like a nervous wreck, which he was. His mind refused to grasp Sheen's death, although there was no alternate explanation. Doppi was running around planet side and Nesmith had lost track of him, but he didn't really care. All he cared about was in that room and growing steadily colder…

"I can't believe this," the Emperor said. He had finally arrived in front of Sheen's room. Murder on Zeenu was unheard of, unless it was in the ring, and that wasn't considered murder. The Emperor had had to assemble his best advisers to serve as crime investigators and they looked green around the gills. They were green on general principle, but you got the idea.

"You discovered this a half hour ago?" the Emperor said.

"Yes, I…" Nesmith's stomach revolved and he vomited until he dry heaved. Leaning against the wall, he heard Princess Oom.

"Is Sheenie-Weenie all right?" Princess Oom said behind him.

"There's been…an accident…" the Emperor said. With an effort, Nesmith pushed himself away from the wall. He stepped over his vomit and stared at the open door, where the newfound crime investigation scene examined the scene and mucked it up. He started to groom himself and had to stop before he dirtied his fur.

"Are you blind?" Nesmith said weakly. "It wasn't an accident."

Princess Oom frowned and entered the room despite the crime investigation team telling her to stop. Nesmith didn't have the strength to join their protests. She would find out anyway.

"I can't believe Dorkus isn't here," the Emperor said. "It's strange. He fled the city this morning. He left me a note telling me something was done, but what?"

Nesmith gritted his teeth. It was common knowledge among the residents with half a brain that Dorkus hated Sheen. However, he didn't want to think Dorkus was capable of murder. He didn't like thinking it of anyone. Murder was heinous and deplorable; only uncivilized creatures resorted to it.

Princess Oom screamed and bolted. Nesmith thought darkly she might join Doppi on the march planet side. They might run into Aseefa. His stomach clenched again. Aseefa was going to be enraged. He didn't know exactly what was going on between her and Sheen- had gone on- the change in tense also made his stomach clench. Whatever was between them, as a fellow warrior, this was a gristly end.

"If it's not an accident, then what is it?" the Emperor said.

"A murder, obviously," Nesmith said. He wished he had something to wash the taste out of his mouth.

"'Murder'?" the Emperor repeated. He stared at Sheen's body and Nesmith caught himself grooming his head. His hands trembled and he had to look at anything else. Looking at Sheen made him sick again.

"What is 'murder'?" the Emperor said.

"It's when one creature-" Nesmith had to pause and swallow bile, "when one creature kills one another. And not in ritual combat."

"I see…" the Emperor said. He frowned thoughtfully and stared at Sheen. A few moments passed and the Emperor, with visible effort, jerked his gaze away from the human boy. "You're from Earth too, correct?"

"Yes…why?" Nesmith asked.

"Then you would know all about this," he said.

"I'm hardly an expert," he said. "Until I crashed upon your planet, I possessed normal intelligence."

The Emperor stared blankly and Nesmith groaned.

"I only know about it after having researched it," he said. "What I know could fill Sheen's broken rocket."

"But you must know something," he said. "You know the phrase. I hereby appoint you the head investigator. I await your suggestions."

Nesmith suppressed a groan. "Then I suggest you start looking for Dorkus."

"Dorkus? Why?" the Emperor said. "What would Dorkus have to do with this?"

"Don't you think it's a little suspicious that right after a tragedy, Dorkus is suddenly gone?" Nesmith said.

"No…" the Emperor said. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"And let me guess. You hadn't noticed how much Dorkus loathes Sheen and hadn't thought about his whereabouts last night?" Nesmith said.

"No, I can't say that I have," the Emperor said. He frowned. "Dorkus hates Sheen? But he always seemed so happy around him."

Nesmith avoided slapping his palm to his forehead but it was a very near thing. "At any rate, I propose we search the planet for Dorkus and hope he hasn't taken off or found a way to fix Sheen's rocket and propel himself elsewhere."

He hated saying Sheen's name now. It sent a harsh echo through him and made him sway. It was hard to think the human he had loved and cared for might be dead now. Might be…was. Nesmith moaned and resolutely looked away from the body. Oh, Sheen.

"You heard the Head Investigator!" the Emperor ordered. "Find Dorkus! Also, find my daughter."

"And Doppi," Nesmith said. It felt like the voice reached him at great distance and he grabbed the doorframe to hold himself upright.

"And Doppi!" the Emperor repeated and stared at Nesmith. "You think he's a suspect?"

"No," Nesmith said. "But someone ought to find him before he does something stupid and hurts himself."

* * *

Jimmy woke up at seven and groaned, checking his alarm. Something had awoken him and he had no clue what. Goddard whined and scratched at the window, which prompted Jimmy to shove aside the covers and check what was outside. Perhaps that could explain his sudden jolt back into consciousness. In the very least, if there wasn't anything there, he might be able to get a little more sleep.

Libby stood, hands on her hips, and glared. A bag, presumably full of rocks, rested at her feet. Goddard barked, opened the window, and flew to her. Libby glared.

"What are you doing sleeping? We have work to do," she said. "We have to find Sheen."

Jimmy groaned. "I said eight o'clock."

"That's one hour we'll never get back," Libby snapped. "We've wasted enough time already. I've been up since five."

Jimmy's mouth dried out. He stared at her and winced, unable to face the accusation in her eyes. Libby blamed Jimmy for whatever had happened to Sheen. Guilt coursed through him again. Goddard whined and Jimmy patted him on the snout.

"I'll be right down," he promised.

"We can wake the others later," she said. "I can't get into the lab without you. I've already tried."

Jimmy's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Dealing with Libby was going to be a nightmare, but he couldn't fault her. If Sheen were dead, she would want vengeance. In truth, he would want it too.

**

* * *

**

Libby had insisted on using the time acceleration field since none of them were sleeping and they didn't have to worry about suspended animation. As a result, by the time Jimmy called Cindy and Carl, the clock read nine but it felt like six hours had passed, not two. Carl and Cindy were late, delayed by their parents, and Jimmy had to break the field in order to open the lab to them. The time acceleration field meant the time space within the lab progressed slower than real time, although it felt like more time had passed within the time frame. The more time was expanded, or, in this case, decreased, the greater the strain on the people within the field and the harder it was for someone to break into the field. Since time was currently running at one third its normal rate, the molecules moved far slower and it required breaking the field in order for anyone to interact with the outside world. With time moving so slowly, it allowed more work to be done, at greater cost. Libby wasn't concerned about burnout, but Jimmy was. There was only so much strain the body could take in slower animation without suffering permanent damage; the body wasn't meant to be moving around its normal rate within a slower timeline.

All of this Jimmy explained to Cindy, who rolled her eyes and glowered.

"You should have called us at seven, Neutron," she snapped after he plucked a hair from his head and they re-entered the lab. "No matter what my mom wanted. You're going to go crazy in there."

"If I go crazy, at least I'll be able to find and rescue Sheen first," Jimmy said and gulped. "Assuming there's anything left to rescue."

"You really think Sheen is dead?" Carl said and Jimmy looked down at Libby, who was soldering the rocket to accommodate more passengers with Goddard supervising.

"We'll talk about it later," he said and they descended into the lab. Goddard barked and Libby removed the protective gear from her head. She scowled at the group and her eyes flew straight to Jimmy.

"You took too long," Libby groused.

"How's the rocket going?" he said. He didn't add she had yanked him out of the house without breakfast and his stomach was grumbling.

"It looks like a version of the hovercraft now," Cindy observed.

"That's the idea," Jimmy admitted. "It should function similarly, with a protective bubble over it. The rocket itself will beneath the seating, to propel us to our destination. Since this planet appears to be pretty far from Earth, we have to make sure we have enough fuel and the tanks can hold that much."

"What ever happened to the rocket you won on that game show, Jim?" Carl asked.

"April's borrowing it," Jimmy said and Cindy hissed at the name.

"You couldn't ask for it back?" Cindy said.

"It'd take too much time," he said. "By the time she got our message, we could have already finished this and headed on our way."

"Enough chitchat," Libby said. "Let's get back to this."

Jimmy imagined Sheen would have had a retort for that, remembered Sheen wasn't with them, and his heart sunk. His stomach also grumbled and Carl and Cindy stared at him.

"Maybe after a lunch break," Jimmy said and grinned sheepishly.

"We can eat when we get there," Libby huffed.

Jimmy's stomach complained again and he realized he was going to have to be the one to put his foot down. Cindy probably wasn't going to take his side against Libby and Carl, well…Carl was a wimp.

"We can eat _now _so I don't burn out before we're done," he said. "I was hungry before you yanked me down here and every hour in the lab is actually three with the time acceleration field."

"Fine," she said and glared at him. "But make it quick."

* * *

She didn't mean to be harsh. She was hungry too, but she ignored it. Every second they wasted brought her closer to the realization she might have lost Sheen for good. Although their relationship had been odd, to say the least, she cared for Sheen and she thought, maybe, she might have grown to love him if he hadn't blasted off for a random planet. It wasn't like Jimmy and Cindy, who were bound to love and hate each other in equal intervals, or like Carl and Elkie, who were all love. Sheen and Libby had a comfortable relationship, which could grow and eventually become her fond of his strangeness. He was like the random sock you have in your drawer; it didn't have a match, but she couldn't bring herself to throw it out.

Cindy sat closer to Jimmy than usual and Libby ignored it. Seeing them together was like a knife through her heart. Maybe she did love Sheen. It wasn't something she spent a lot of time thinking about it. She'd been angry for months for him leaving her.

If something had happened to Sheen, she couldn't bear her last thoughts of him being vindictive and cruel. She refused to believe he was dead, because then there was no hope. Jimmy was supposed to represent hope and progress, so she forced him into his role. Cindy shot her a look across the table; Libby was drumming her fingers on the table.

Cindy's hand brushed Jimmy's and they jumped. Libby huffed. It was like a slap in the face and her heart ached. Oh, Sheen. If worse came to worst, she didn't know what she'd do. He'd been a part of them for so long.

She let none of this show. Cindy had taught her well about masking her misery.


	4. Something that I Want

Author's Note: This is predominantly JN today, since I want to de-emphasize Planet Sheen until they arrive on Zeenu.

Also and more importantly, finals are coming up and I'm also having personal problems. So there might not be an update next week. Sorry.

Chapter Four: Something That I Want

By the time they finished for the day, they were exhausted and slumping over the lab table. Jimmy glanced at the rocket and groaned. Once they left, he'd go back to working on it and finish. Only a few more hours should complete it and then they could set off for the unknown planet. He could set the planet's coordinates into the rocket's computer and put it on autopilot. Then, after everything was said and done, maybe he'd be able to sleep.

"What do you think the planet's like?" Carl said. Goddard had fished out chairs and now they slumped in them.

"I don't know," Jimmy said. His words were slurred- he'd had to do a lot of the technical work himself, since the others didn't know how. His eyes closed and he drifted for a moment. The calibrations were easy…they only required him to do this, this, and this and then set the dial up to high for a test run and…was Ultra Lord broadcast to another planet. That was a stupid idea. Why would it be broadcast to a planet in a far-off galaxy? And…

"Neutron!" Cindy snapped. Jimmy twitched. Cindy wasn't in Ultra Lord. He couldn't remember the last time he'd watched that show willingly. It had to have been months ago, when Sheen was here. Sheen and the rocket. Why had he left the warnings and not created a shield over the rocket to prevent him from stealing it?

"_Neutron_," Cindy hissed.

A stinging slap opened his eyes and he stared straight into Cindy's brilliant emerald eyes. Cindy leaned back and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Neutron, bed," she instructed.

"I wasn't sleeping," he protested.

"You were nodding off," she retorted and Carl nodded. He expected to see Sheen beside him and the absence wrenched his heart.

"I was?" he repeated. Carl and Cindy nodded. Libby was studiously staring at the rocket.

"I'll finish it tonight," he promised Libby. Balling her fists, she didn't look at him and Cindy hissed.

"You're going to sleep," she snapped. "The rocket can wait-"

"No, it can't!" Libby snapped. "One day more and Sheen might be dead!"

"Making Neutron crash and burn isn't going to help things!" Cindy retorted. "He's the only one of us who knows what he's doing!"

"And it was Jimmy's rocket that Sheen used in the first place!" Libby countered.

"Arguing won't solve anything!" Jimmy interrupted and smiled at Cindy. "I appreciate your candor, both of you, but I'm going to fix this rocket and finish it tonight, no matter what, and then I'll collapse."

"You think Sheen's okay?" Carl said.

"No," he murmured. "I don't. But I want to know what happened."

Libby faltered and extended her hand. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. I'm worried about Sheen too and I know it was your rocket-"

"It wasn't his fault," Cindy interjected and Libby glared.

"We're all worried," Jimmy said and shook her head. "Save your anger for whoever attacked Sheen on this planet."

Libby's eyes glittered darkly. "Oh, I will."

Jimmy shut his eyes again and saw the rocket in his mind's eye. He imagined what he'd have to do and drifted into thought again. In his memory, Sheen was back and laughing about their new adventure. He'd be bouncing around the lab asking when they could go and then scoffing at Jimmy doing this to impress Cindy. Then Jimmy would snap at him it had nothing to do with Cindy, only the progression of science, and Sheen would scoff again and then hop into the rocket. He'd jump into the rocket like he had done in the past…jump into it and then vanish forever…

"Jimmy," Cindy said. Her voice was soft, placatory. "You need sleep."

"But-" Libby protested.

"We all need sleep," Carl said and yawned.

"Whatever's happening, I doubt the planet's bare because otherwise, Sheen would have come back here," Cindy said. It wasn't like her to play the optimist, but they had nothing better on hand. "Or at least bummed a ride off someone else."

"Someone might be there and helping him now," Carl added.

"I hope so…" Libby and Jimmy echoed.

* * *

"I can't get this damn thing to start," Dorkus snapped. He kicked the defunct rocket, which he had repaired partially and had worked long enough to propel him across the planet, and then quit again. Pinter floated over his shoulder and Dorkus resisted the urge to flick him off into a canyon. The quick escape meant Dorkus hadn't had time to change and Sheen's blood had soaked into his cloak. Even if Sheen was dead, he found a way to stick around. It disgusted Dorkus.

He felt the imperative to keep running. He wouldn't have minded staying, but anyone with half a brain would have figured out he had murdered Sheen. Sooner or later, someone was going to come after him.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Pinter said.

"I need to think," Dorkus snapped. "That means you're quiet."

"Yes, master," Pinter said.

Dorkus patted himself down. Normally, at least once a day, Dorkus patted himself down to ensure his ceremonial dagger was firmly attached to his waist. It was a security measure, since it was always present, and he remembered the last time he'd handled it. Smiling, he patted his waist and was so used to its familiar weight and shape, it took him a second to realize the sheath was there, but not the dagger. Since there was no one around for miles, he opened his robes (Pinter averted his gaze) and he stared at the sheath. The dagger was missing.

He remembered the last time he'd handled it and felt its swift, sure weight in his palm. And then…

Dorkus broke out into a series of expletives so violent Pinter cowered on the ground and any surrounding wildlife fled for dear life. Snarling, Dorkus flung the sheath to the ground, kicked the rocket (it fell over) and stomped his feet. Unable to quell his fury, he stormed forward, leaving Pinter to fly after him, and was incapable of speech. Anger had choked him and he was snarling through his nostrils. He couldn't believe this had happened. There was no possible way it had happened. He had planned everything down to the most minute detail and yet where was the dagger?

In Sheen's house.

His ceremonial dagger, which anyone with any sense would link back to him. Hell, the Emperor had no sense and would realize the dagger didn't belong there. Plus, if Sheen's friends, particularly Nesmith, stumbled upon it, it would condemn him. Zeenu was a large planet, but not that large. Unless he got the rocket fixed, he'd be stuck and eventually, someone would find him.

The worst part was Dorkus really wanted his dagger back. It was a family heirloom and he was quite attached to it. The only way to get it back was to walk back into the lion's den and escape with it all the while fervently hoping no one had discovered it with Sheen's body and put two and two together. Dorkus's heart raced. Now he had a real reason for feeling jittery.

"Well, boss?" Pinter said quietly. "What are we gonna do now?"

"We're going to go back to the Capitol, steal my dagger back, and hope no one has brains enough to blame me for Sheen's death," he said.

"You didn't really kill him, did you?" Pinter asked. Dorkus sighed.

* * *

Jimmy collapsed over the rocket despite Cindy's warnings he should take himself to bed. Goddard had curled up beside him and both of them jerked at Vox flashing again. Terror shot through Jimmy- the last time Vox had gone off, it was to tell them that Sheen was in mortal peril. He jolted to full consciousness and Goddard moved to the side to halt the warning message. With the red button in the center of the console depressed, the lights ceased flashing and Jimmy blinked. Staring right at them (or at the camera, if it was a recording) was Sheen.

"Sheen!" he exclaimed and he rushed at the keyboard.

"Woah, what the heck is this thing?" Sheen said.

"It appears to be a camera," a cultured British voice informed him. Sheen moved aside and Jimmy saw a monkey wearing a spacesuit. Blinking, heart pounding in his chest, he leaned into the screen.

"Wait, the spacesuit had a camera?" Sheen said.

"Apparently," the monkey answered. "Why didn't you use it before and ask the person whose rocket you took to repair it?"

Sheen scoffed. "Duh, because I don't know whose rocket it was. J.N. I don't know anyone with those initials. I mean, I have a friend named Jimmy Neutron, but that's not J.N."

The monkey blinked, slapped a palm to his forehead, and then said, "Be that as it may, you should tell whoever's receiving this that you need help and we're stationed on Zeenu."

Jimmy drank in the image of his best friend, which he realized might be the last recording before- he gulped. No, he wouldn't think that way. Instead, trying to silence his racing thoughts and calm his racing heart, he leaned further, fingers brushing against the keyboard. His eyes had widened until they bulged and his breathing came shallow and quick. His palms were drying out.

Sheen tugged at his collar nervously and chuckled weakly. "They don't miss me that much at home."

"I doubt that," the monkey answered. "I'm sure they miss you terribly, if they're true friends."

This time, Sheen avoided looking at the camera. Mumbling, he said, "Jimmy, if you're getting this, I'm sorry. I knew it was your rocket and I shouldn't have taken it. But you weren't home and man, it was sweet…up until it crashed."

"There," the monkey said. "Does that feel better?"

"No…" Sheen answered. He looked up again. "I don't really wanna come home. I'm having fun here."

The monkey groaned. "That explains why you haven't fixed the rocket."

Sheen scoffed. "Yeah…I don't know how to fix rockets. Or build them."

The monkey slapped a palm to his forehead and a sick swooping feeling ran through Jimmy. These were probably Sheen's last moments. Why hadn't the chip released them sooner, before Sheen's demise? This was like divine torture, seeing him alive and well and knowing, deep down, he was probably dead. No, there was no 'probably' about it.

The monkey hissed and glared. "Then why did you act like you did?"

"Duh, to impress you," Sheen said. "I've always wanted a pet monkey."

"I am not your pet," the monkey said.

"Have it your way," Sheen scoffed. "Pet."

"I am not your pet," the monkey said. "And on the off chance someone is viewing this, perhaps you should tell them what to expect."

"Everyone worships me, I live in a house shaped like my head, and there's no Ultra Lord," Sheen said. He winced. "No Ultra Lord."

"Whatever _that _is," the monkey said. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Nesmith. I look forward to being rescued."

Sheen scoffed. "Why would anyone want to be rescued? This is paradise. No school, no homework-"

"No friends and family," Nesmith said gently.

"I have you, Doppi, and-"

"Sheenie-weenie!" a loud feminine voice screeched.

"And a place to hide!" Sheen said and dove behind something, out of the camera's sight. Nesmith rolled his eyes and the feed ended, replaced by static. There probably hadn't been much film in the camera and Sheen would have had to wrench it out of his spacesuit in order to find it. Jimmy's heart ached and he shut off Vox's monitor.

Feeling thoroughly wretched, he shuffled to a chair, buried his face in his hands, and cried. Goddard licked his face and Jimmy hugged him tightly. For a few moments, Goddard let him be and offered him what comfort he could. Then he prodded Vox and the video restarted.

"Boy, I don't want to watch that again," Jimmy reprimanded. Goddard barked and stuck out his tongue to point at the date at the bottom. He jumped. The date was converted to Earth time and it said only two days ago. Up until recently, Sheen had been alive and well. His heart pounded again and he stared hard at the date with Goddard muting the video.

"The rocket's finished," Jimmy said in a cold voice that was unlike his usual cheery self. "I know it's only four a.m., but we should be off. Let's get the others."


	5. Red Sky at Night

Author's Note: In light of seeing an episode of Planet Sheen I didn't immediately detest ("Trial by Jerry"), I thought I might throw this series a bone. Chassit!

Please continue to read and review, for the few of you actually doing this.

Chapter Five: Red Sky at Night

When he arrived in the Capitol, it was bedlam. Guards swarmed everywhere; Nesmith was walking patrol in front of a gruesome two-headed green-scaled monster with a long tail and vicious claws. It stood at least eight feet tall and Dorkus winced, looking at Sheen's house in the distance. He could barely see it over the patrol units and he gritted his teeth. To make matters worse, now he was wondering if he'd used the right poison. There were poisons mimicking death that slowed the body's metabolism and paralyzed them to near death, so no one could tell the person was still alive. He had been rather in a rush that night…

"What are you going to do, Boss?" Pinter asked.

"Damn that chimp," he grumbled. "I should have taken him out too."

"It's too late for that," Pinter said.

"I know it's too late for that!" he hissed. His eyes narrowed. "The instant I step near the house, I'll have at least half of those guards swarming around me. I might have been able to pull the wool over the Emperor's eyes, but Nesmith is another story."

He crouched behind his rock and surveyed the situation.

"You could always wait until nightfall," Pinter said. "They might relax."

"I sincerely doubt it," he snapped.

"Do you really need the knife?"

"My father gave it to me!" he retorted. He groaned and slumped with his back to the rock. "And I can't remember which poison I gave him or if he's really dead or just close to it."

"Sheen might not be dead?" Pinter said in a loud whisper that carried. Dorkus slapped a palm to his forehead.

"Alert a few more people we're here, why don't you?" he growled.

"Sorry, Boss."

The guards looked up in their direction and Dorkus weighed his options. It didn't take long- he had none. It had taken him a while to walk on foot and their only mode of transportation no longer operated. Maybe he could bank on severe ignorance. He certainly couldn't outrun everyone and trying seemed futile.

"Over there!" someone shouted. "I hear voices."

"What's the plan?"

Dorkus smiled. "Hope they're still as stupid as they were when we left."

He rose with his hands up and Pinter flapped his wings over his shoulder. A troop of guards stopped in front of him and another set blocked him in from the back and sides. Pinter eyed them nervously and Dorkus smiled wider.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dorkus said. Nesmith stepped through the guard and narrowed his eyes.

"Now that you're here, you can answer some questions," Nesmith said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dorkus said. "I've been out of town for the last day and couldn't possibly know about anything at all."

"Uh huh," Nesmith said and glared. "I sincerely doubt that."

"It's the truth," Dorkus said and smiled wide. "Don't you believe me?"

Nesmith's glare kicked up a notch and Dorkus' smile faltered. There was something short of homicidal rage in Nesmith's eyes and it sent chills down Dorkus' spine. Pinter staggered in mid-air and collapsed onto Dorkus' shoulder.

"I don't like that look…" Pinter whimpered.

"Then there's a few more things you won't like either," Nesmith said. His eyes never left Dorkus' face. "Lock them up for questioning."

The guards faltered and Dorkus relaxed minutely.

"Questioning? I've done nothing wrong," he said.

"There's blood on your cloak," Nesmith said. "And you've murdered Zeenu's only lawyer, so I hope you know enough law to save your skin."

"But Sheen might not be dead," Pinter said and Dorkus, unable to quell his rage, slammed his associate into the dirt. A stunned silence followed and Nesmith gaped at them.

"What?" he said.

"I would have to examine the body to be certain," Dorkus continued and Nesmith's glare returned. He glowered at Dorkus.

"You're not getting within ten feet of Sheen," he snarled. "I don't know how Sheen could possibly have survived, but I'll be the judge of that, not you."

"Not if the poison-"Pinter began and Dorkus crushed him into the dirt. He ground his heel into his head and ignored Pinter's painful whimpers.

"Take them to the Tower of Twenty Years," he said.

"What about that?" Princess Oom said. She pointed to a rocket descending rapidly upon the planet and Dorkus rubbed his palms together. The entire group looked up at the rocket and Dorkus scooped Pinter up, shoved him into his robes, and started to back away. The group parted without even noticing him and his heart pounded in his chest. The diversion might work as long as the rocket actually landed upon the planet without crashing. Crashing would take far less time than a controlled descent.

With no one's eyes upon him anymore, Dorkus seized the helms and bolted for his life. He'd worry about the dagger later, when everyone's attention was upon the newcomers.

* * *

The ride over had been silent. Jimmy had received a missive from April telling him she'd leave his rocket on Zeenu for him to pick up and take the one he'd constructed in return, so they could at least come back in style. Also, if they wanted to bring back Sheen…or what was left of him…they'd need a larger rocket. He gulped and shuddered.

"That's a pretty big turn out," Cindy said, peering through the plexiglass.

"That looks like Sheen's head," Libby said.

"Wow…he's got his own house _and _it's shaped like his head?" Carl said. "That's so cool."

Jimmy set the rocket into a controlled dive and Goddard yipped a greeting. With everything nominal, it should take them about a half hour to set down upon the surface. He was glad he'd slept on the ride over, because he hadn't slept at all the night before. Thankfully, the others were in the same boat and had taken advantage of the rocket's autopilot. Also thankfully, Libby had decided to leave him alone today so far. His mouth dried out.

"Um, Jimmy?" Carl said.

"What?" he said.

"Is it me or are they holding out shackles and balls and chains?" Carl said.

"It's not you," Libby said.

"Oh, that's good," Carl said. "Wait."

Jimmy gritted his teeth. He didn't want to risk crashing the rocket and accelerating their descent, but his heart pounded. Carl was right. The mob awaiting them did not look like it wanted to roll out the welcome wagon. At its head, an alien looking like an enlarged single cell organism sat upon a throne and stared at them. Jimmy thought of King Ooblar, grimaced, and tried not to push anything that'd leave them stranded here.

Sheen would have prattled on about establishing they came in peace and then turning tail and running.

"_Sure, that would be the 'right' thing to do. But the 'smart' thing to do…"_

"I hope they speak English," Cindy grumbled.

"Why wouldn't they?" Carl said.

"We're not in Star Wars, Carl," Jimmy said. "Not everyone speaks 'Basic'."

"What's 'Basic'?" he said. Libby, Cindy, and Jimmy simultaneously slapped their palms to their foreheads and groaned. Jimmy focused on the group and realized that while the single cell organism seemed to be high ranking (at least, judging by the amount of civilians standing around in awe), another group of armed aliens had a monkey in front of them. The monkey was staring at the rocket too and shading his eyes against the flare. And behind them all, wearing grey robes, a man shaped figure was pelting for his life.

"Wanna bet he had something to do with it?" Cindy grumbled.

There was nothing to left but to observe the planet. Jimmy grimaced at a tall alien with yellow skin and what appeared two heads standing nearby the single cell organism. A blue skinned girl who reminded him of April with her warrior stance was also fighting her way through the crowd to peer at the spaceship. She stopped near the monkey and jerked him around to talk.

"Interesting," he said.

"We're here to find out what happened to Sheen, not to make nice with the local wildlife," Cindy snapped.

"She _is _pretty," Carl said.

"If Sheen was admiring her…" Libby didn't continue the threat.

They finally made their descent and landed upon the planet. The glass flew off and Goddard barked, jumping around on the surface. Someone brought the dais forward and the pink organism stared hard at the group.

"Throw them into the Tower!" he proclaimed.

"Wait, what?" Jimmy said. A faction of armed aliens, all twice their height, swarmed around them. Goddard snarled and barked but it was hopeless. He couldn't have mowed them all down and if they were here for the reason Jimmy thought they were, it'd only make matters worse. He whistled at Goddard, Goddard reluctantly left the group's outskirts (but continued growling) and hopped into his master's arms.

"You don't even know who they are," a cultured British voice said. "You can't lock them up without questioning them first."

"They could have had something to do with what happened to Sheen," the organism said. "I, as Emperor, command they be locked up for further study."

It took Jimmy's mind a second to place the voice and where he'd heard it before.

"Nesmith?" he called. At his name, the monkey pushed his way to the front and frowned at him.

"You have me at a disadvantage," Nesmith said. "I'm afraid I don't know who you or any of your friends are."

"From the video?" he said and winced. Thinking about the video incited painful memories. The rest of his group stared at him in utter bafflement.

"What video?" Cindy said.

"Oh!" Nesmith said. "Then you must be Jimmy Neutron."

"Questions later!" the Emperor said. "Throw them into the Tower!"

Seizing him and his friends by the arms, the muscular aliens proceeded to haul them away from Jimmy's rocket. Jimmy strained to look at the blue skinned girl, earning himself a reproving glance from Cindy and a hard look from Libby. He couldn't see the monkey now, but he could still hear him.

"There's been a mistake," Nesmith said. "Jimmy Neutron is one of Sheen's friends from Earth. They must be here to help."

"We'll determine that later," the Emperor said.

"In the meanwhile, does anyone know where Dorkus is?" Nesmith persisted.

"No, why?" the Emperor said. Nesmith groaned.

"You're arresting Sheen's friends who are here to help and you let your number one suspect go free even after he returned," Nesmith said.

"But there was the rocket," the Emperor said. "You had to see it."

The guards marched them further away and their voices diminished, making it impossible to hear the words, only tone.

"This is less than ideal," Jimmy muttered.

"They are going to let us go, aren't they?" Carl said anxiously.

"How the hell could we have had anything to do with it if we just got here?" Cindy snapped.

"Don't ask me," Jimmy said. He strained to see Nesmith and the Emperor one last time and the guard swung him back to face front. Goddard growled a warning; Jimmy shook his head, and muttered in his creation's ear.

"Not now, boy," he said. "We'll go along with this for now. We don't want to make a scene unless we absolutely have to."

Goddard whined, unhappy with the instructions but unwilling to betray his master.


	6. Dramatic Pause

Author's Note: I relented and did the fic a kindness. Although, it might not be a real kindness, because with injuries like that, who knows?

I have to quote this, although it may seem out of context at the moment. Keep this in mind when you reach the second to last paragraph- "Until Libby finds out!"

*evil grin*

Chapter Six: Dramatic Pause

Contrary to Jimmy's expectations, the Tower didn't contain a damp, chilly subterranean cell with shackles for them. Their room looked quite spacious, with a mini fridge and a large table, alongside of which were cushioned chairs. A fire had begun behind a grate along the wall to their left and the smell of cedar wood filled the room. Toward the back were bookcases and comfortable plush armchairs with reading tables beside them. There were even four cots set up with thick soft looking blankets and stuffed downy pillows. A door inset a few feet away from the fire probably led off to the bathroom.

"This is a prison cell?" Cindy said.

Gaping, Jimmy didn't notice their guards had unlocked their wrists and ankles. The one thing he could say was pacing this room would make you very dizzy. Inexplicably, it was circular, covered in red carpet, and had no windows. The door clicked and locked behind them.

"No! I'm too young to die!" Carl screamed and flung himself at the door. "I didn't do it! I'm innocent!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. Someone had even left a chess board near the bookcases along with a couple more chairs. Without a window, the room had no ventilation and it was unpleasantly warm, but at least it wasn't dank and underground. It certainly didn't look like imprisonment.

"Let me out! Let me out!" Carl screamed. They ignored him and gathered around the dining table. Cindy selected the spot to Jimmy's left and squeezed his hand. Libby scoffed and sat on Jimmy's right. They were silent for a moment and stared at Carl. Sooner or later, he'd tire himself out and waddle over. In the meanwhile, Jimmy stared overhead at the chandeliers.

"It's like we're royalty," Cindy said.

"Royalty or not, a cage is a cage, even with gilded bars," Jimmy said and sighed. "I could melt the lock off the door, but we're still outnumbered. We need to wait for someone to see sense."

"Jimmy, we're on a planet where Sheen has a house shaped like his head," Libby said. "What part of that makes sense to you?"

"The part where the monkey bails us out?" Cindy grumbled.

"We've been in worse situations," he said. He was trying to rally the troops. Without him, their spirits might all sink. "I know it looks dire, but I'm sure someone will pull through."

"Admit it," Libby said. "We're stuck on a remote planet millions of light years away from Earth to rescue someone we don't even know is still alive and for all we know, the monkey got distracted by a banana."

"I'm too young to die!" Carl sobbed at the door. Jimmy groaned.

"It's always darkest before the dawn," he said.

"Then it's nightfall," Cindy muttered.

Jimmy grimaced. He fiddled with his watch, which was struggling to find coordinates now that they weren't on Earth. Unsurprisingly, he didn't have service, just like he didn't have Goddard. He could communicate with Goddard, who was also in captivity, just in a different area in the tower. Goddard was the only technology available; from a quick scan, it seemed everything on this planet was horribly primitive. So much for aliens having discovered scientific advances before humanity.

"How long do you think they'll keep us prisoner?" Cindy said.

"Probably until they can pin a crime on us," Libby said. "Why didn't you see this coming?"

"For the same reason I didn't actively stop Sheen from stealing the rocket, propelling himself into space, and landing here," Jimmy said. He hung his head and Cindy wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Startled, he glanced at her and she smiled at him.

"Why don't you go back to doing what you do best and put that giant brain to work?" she said. "There's nothing we can do right now, but if there's a chance Sheen is still alive, you're the only one I know with the mental muscle to save him."

"If Sheen is still alive…" Libby and Carl echoed. Carl finished railing against the establishment and joined them at the table. Jimmy sighed.

"Hey, let's see you give a better pep talk," Cindy snapped.

"I appreciate the gesture, Cindy," he said and his lips twitched. "Although I guess we'd better distract ourselves in the meantime. There's no point in speculating about what might have happened without empirical evidence to prove it."

"Hey, they have a radio!" Carl said and rushed over to it. He turned it on and Libby joined him to peer curiously at the device. It looked like an old transistor radio from Earth and they fiddled with the dials until they found a strange musical assortment they liked. Jimmy relaxed minutely. Libby would be fine as long as she had her music and Carl would be all right with his mind off things.

"You know, Neutron," Cindy said, "I don't think we've ever played chess together."

"Chess? Now?" he said.

She shrugged. "You got something better to do."

"We could start reading those books and see if they offer any insight into the planet's culture and history," he said.

"I like chess better, but whatever floats your boat," she said. They headed for the bookcases and Cindy's arm dropped from his shoulders to brush his right arm. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. Jimmy smiled at her and she glanced at Libby and Carl, who were otherwise occupied, and pecked him on the cheek. Warmth coursed through him.

"It's not your fault," she said. "Trust me. I'd be the first to tell you if it was."

"Thanks," he said and smirked. "And Cindy?"

"What?" she said. He spun her around and kissed her on the lips. They shut their eyes and his arm around her tightened its grip, to press them together. He could feel her heart race and he grinned. Breaking off the kiss, sparks continued to jolt his body and his heart pounded.

"Call me crazy, but I think the monkey might just pull through."

* * *

Nesmith was torn between two desires. He really ought to extract Jimmy Neutron and his friends and end their false imprisonment. After all, they had come here for Sheen. Nesmith was positive of it. On the other hand…if there was even the slightest chance Dorkus had failed in his objective, the most minute possibility Sheen still lived despite being stabbed and his eyes appearing vacant…Nesmith had to know. If Sheen were still alive, he'd need medical attention right away. Jimmy and his friends might grow exceedingly bored cooped up in the Tower, but they probably wouldn't die.

His mind made up, he set off for the house. He refused to think of it as Sheen's house and thinking about facing Sheen, alive or dead, in that state, set his teeth on edge. Guards followed behind him, along with Aseefa, and he focused on proving definitively whether or not Sheen was dead. Nothing else mattered. Once they determined this, he could go on and rescue Jimmy Neutron and the others.

"Are you really going to take Dorkus' word for it?" Aseefa asked.

"What choice do we have?" Nesmith said. "If Sheen is still alive, we owe it to him to find out."

"And if Sheen is dead…" Aseefa trailed off.

"Then we owe it to him to find out and avenge his death," Nesmith said.

"I will personally tear Dorkus' head off and mount it on my wall," she promised.

"I don't think that will be necessarily," he said. "Although…"

"Although?" she pressed.

"Although I must admit, a baser part of me is quite satisfied with the image," he said. They lapsed into silence, Aseefa wearing a cruel smile, and headed for the remote area fringing the Capitol city. Sheen's head, its eyes feeling oddly vacant now with its chief occupant out of commission, awaited them. The guards respectfully remained outside while Aseefa and Nesmith entered the house and both shivered.

"In my tribe, there is a myth that if the dead are not treated with respect and their wishes granted, they will haunt their death site until balance is restored," Aseefa said. "What if Sheen's spirit is roaming, seeking release?"

"Let's hope there's _no _spirit lingering around here," Nesmith said. "On Earth, there's a myth that a person who's been paralyzed and it looks like they have rigor mortis is still alive if they produce condensation on a mirror."

Aseefa stared blankly and he elaborated.

"The condensation means the person is breathing," he said. "It hadn't occurred to me before because there was so much blood; I couldn't imagine Sheen still being alive."

"Unless there was an alternate reason for the blood," she reasoned. "Or if the poison Dorkus used has a coagulant in it."

"Do you know of many poisons like that?" he said.

"We do not use poisons," she said and tossed her head. "We consider it dishonorable. However, we are trained to fight against them."

"Would you know whether Sheen was poisoned or dead upon sight?" he said. He didn't know whether or not Aseefa had examined Sheen before she had joined him outside.

She paused to consider this. "I might. I have to admit, this whole business is very unsettling. I didn't think Dorkus had this little honor."

"Neither did I," Nesmith muttered bitterly. They ascended the stairs and reached the second floor, where Doppi had fled in terror. He had no idea where the green alien was right now, nor did he care. Instead, he edged the door open. The crime investigators were gone, Sheen's body remained where it was on the floor, and Nesmith surveyed the room. A full length mirror was opposite Sheen's bed, but it was too large to use. He mulled it over while Aseefa knelt next to Sheen.

"Would I not feel the warmth of his breath upon my hand?" she said.

"You might," he said. "But he might not be breathing consistently enough to be able to tell."

Nesmith stared at the room again. The mirror was intact, but Sheen's dresser was knocked over, his bed had torn cloth on it from Sheen's spacesuit, and his boots were in a corner. Aseefa cradled Sheen's head on her lap and passed her hand in front of his face. Sheen's eyes were open and staring without showing a trace of recognition or, indeed, life. Nesmith gulped and looked around for a hand mirror. Sheen had never struck him as that vain, but, short of breaking the mirror, it was his only hope.

"If you don't break it, I will," she warned softly.

Sighing, he grabbed Sheen's blanket and wrapped his right hand in it. Walking over to the mirror, he punched it with his bundled hand and it cracked. Carefully nudging a likely piece free, all the while trying not to cut himself, he wrenched it free and then cried out. The shard had sliced through the blanket and his finger. He hissed, moving the shard to the other hand to nurse his injury, and knelt to hand the shard to her.

"Sheen, if you're alive," Aseefa said, "your friends are here. All of them."

"I don't think he can hear you," he said. "Even if he is alive. Surely he would have reacted to everyone stomping around the room earlier."

She held the glass beneath his nose and waited. Nesmith's breath caught in his chest. For what felt like eternity, they leaned over and stared at the glass. Nesmith's chest burned from waiting to exhale and Aseefa, out of the corner of his eye, seemed no better. She moved the glass away.

"All hope is lost," she said. "There is no…"

She stopped. At the very edge of the glass, closest to his nose, there was a tiny bit of condensation.

"No," she said. She released an explosive breath and rested her head on Sheen's chest. Nesmith's lips twitched. If only Sheen were conscious and aware of his surroundings. He'd be overjoyed.

"I can hear it," she said. "It's very faint, but…he's not dead."


	7. Time in a Bottle

Author's Note: Nesmith's anxiety hit me hard and caused me to rush. XD But it was appropriate, imo. Also, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I'm going through a _lot _of personal crap and haven't had any motivation.

Chapter Seven: Time in a Bottle

Jimmy Neutron and his friends weren't privy to Nesmith's discovery. Carl and Libby were talking quietly, because otherwise, Carl would run around screaming. Cindy and Jimmy sat side by side and poured through the books to find something, anything that might give them a clue what was going on here. Although many books were written in Basic, a few were in an alien language Jimmy couldn't peg. Those books he laid aside from later, if they were imprisoned here long enough to decide translation was necessary. Right now, the pile stood at five books and was currently higher than his eye level. At least with the books scattered on the table, it was hard to see Carl and Libby.

Cindy nudged his foot and he nudged hers back. He smiled, leafing through the current book about past fashions. The titles were deceiving and what he'd skimmed had bored him beyond belief. He contemplated tossing the book into the fire and decided against it. Cindy snorted at whatever she was reading, poked him, and he poked her back. She smirked, adopted an innocent pose, and ran her fingers along his arm.

"You're trying to distract me," he accused.

"I'm not doing anything," she said. "You're the one who can't concentrate."

"I was concentrating just fine until you started playing footsie with me," he said.

"Is that so?" she countered.

He poked her in the stomach and she retaliated by flipping the top of his hair.

"Hey!" he said. "How would you like it if I did _this_?"

He flipped the tip of her hair, the way it made the strange twist around her forehead. Huffing, she leaned forward and nipped at his ear. Completely distracted from his research now, he pulled her hair out of its scrunchie. Whatever mischief he had planned afterward faded from his mind. With her blonde hair falling in silken sheets down her shoulders, the sight of it framed against her face was arresting and his breath caught.

"Neutron?" she said and snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Oh," he said and smiled, chagrined. "Sorry. You should wear your hair down."

"You like it?" she said and her hand touched his on the chair. She ran her fingers through her hair and swished it back with her palm. He watched its progress; the lights caught and held it, causing it to shimmer. His jaw dropped and he gaped. Any conscious thought of anything else was driven from his mind. Fingers trembling, he stroked her hair and she grinned, turning to face him. Their eyes met and warmth blossomed in his chest. He didn't know why they didn't have more moments like this.

"Um, guys?" Carl said. "They're giving us dinner."

"Oh!" Jimmy said and broke apart from her, remembering abruptly what it was they were supposed to be doing. Glaring at her, he jumped to his feet and joined Carl and Libby at the door. Libby eyed Cindy suspiciously and Cindy grinned. Jimmy kept Cindy in the corner of his eye and vowed not to let her detract from his work again. If he could find a clue about what was going on here, it was more important than their budding romance.

The door opened and a server shoved a tray, with four plates and a covered dish along with utensils, inside. Underneath the cart were drinks and flagons. They descended upon the meal and apportioned it out; Jimmy shuddered, eying it. There were unidentifiable bulges buried beneath red and yellow sauce and the mixture smelled foreign, with something slightly unpleasant beneath it. Without Goddard, he couldn't run an analysis and he only hoped their wardens hadn't had a change of heart.

They sat down at the study table and shoved aside the books.

"Find anything?" Libby said and shot Cindy another look.

"Not unless you count fashion designs and accounting records," Jimmy said.

"And nothing even resembling law," Cindy said. "It looks like they make it up as they go along."

Carl belched loudly and everyone stared at him. Flushing, he excused himself and hid, for a second, behind his napkin. Cindy rolled her eyes. She had seated herself beside Jimmy, who was doing his best at the moment to ignore her company. Had they purposefully excluded any useful tomes or were there really none? What was going on in their absence? His heart skipped a few beats. He had to know what was going on.

"And I'm sure the flirting you two did helped too, right?" Libby said. Jimmy chuckled nervously and Cindy scoffed.

"We should get back to researching," Jimmy said. "After dinner and apart from each other."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "You really think we're going to find something?"

"It's either that or rail at the walls," Jimmy said. "And Carl already did that."

Libby sighed. "What if they never let us out?"

"They have to," Jimmy said. He looked from Cindy, who didn't seem particularly encouraged; Carl, whimpering and hiding in his napkin again, and Libby, whose glare made his next bite stick in his throat. He swallowed his drink, which seemed a mixture of mead and nectar. His head spun a little and he grimaced. Getting drunk was not in the cards; maybe they didn't have any better drinks. Or maybe they wanted them drunk in case they thought they could weasel confessions out.

"They didn't have to feed us, and they did that," Jimmy said.

Cindy swirled her drink around and blew a raspberry at it. "They didn't have to give us alcohol but they did that too."

Jimmy gulped his container down and his head spun more, forcing him to hold it upright and hope the world returned to normal soon. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Who gives alcohol to kids, anyway?" Libby said.

"Idiots?" Cindy snapped.

"In some societies, it's customary to have a glass of wine with dinner, regardless of how young the children are," Jimmy said.

"Really?" Cindy scoffed. "That's the best you've got?"

He held out his hands and stared at the door. "I'd prefer not to ascribe sinister motives to them."

"Despite the fact the first thing they did was lock us up and take Goddard away," Libby snapped.

Jimmy grimaced. "Despite that, yes."

* * *

Nesmith rushed from Sheen's house to the Emperor. The Emperor was holding a private meeting; several of the councilors looked askance at Nesmith, who was dancing with impatience and too excited to care about interrupting them. Aseefa held her head high and glared at anyone who dared glare at Nesmith. They backed off soon; there was something inherently intimidating about the young warrior.

The Emperor stepped aside from his councilors and motioned to Aseefa and Nesmith to follow. They backed up into a small corner.

"What is it?" The Emperor said. "Have you interrogated the prisoners?"

"No and you need to release them," Nesmith said. "However, I'm not here to discuss that. Emperor, Sheen is still alive."

He choked. "But…you said…and my physician said…"

"He's been poisoned," Aseefa said. "It's given him the premature appearance of death and slowed the heart. However, if the antidote isn't located soon, he really will die."

"Then find the antidote!" the Emperor said. "What are you waiting for?"

"It's not that easy," Aseefa said and gulped. She glanced at Nesmith, who sighed. They had discussed this on the walk over.

"We don't know what poison Dorkus used," Nesmith said. "Also, neither of us are well versed in poisons and antidotes. And the only one who is…conveniently left town."

"You're positive Dorkus is behind this?" he said, frowning. "But he loves Sheen."

Nesmith sighed, a long suffering sound. "He's been trying to murder Sheen ever since he arrived here."

"Let's say I take your word on this," the Emperor said. "How long do we have?"

"It depends on what the antidote requires," Aseefa said, "but no more than three days."

"Three days!" he exclaimed. "That's nowhere near enough time."

"It might be enough if you freed the prisoners and we teamed up," Nesmith said. "They have a lot of technology we can use."

"I don't know…" he said and stroked his chin. "I don't trust them."

Nesmith couldn't speak for a moment. Although he was forever obedient and loyal to the Emperor, sometimes the sheer stupidity of this planet's citizens left him thunderstruck. He struggled not to be disrespectful and, in the interim, Aseefa spoke.

"If we do not trust them, we can return them to the Tower," she said. "Or otherwise dispose of them."

"Hmm…" the Emperor said. He headed back to his throne and the councilors, figuring themselves dismissed, bowed and departed. Nesmith ground his teeth. He couldn't force the answer onto the Emperor and there wasn't time for deliberations. Nesmith could hear a watch ticking away the minutes and every second they wasted was another second lost for Sheen. It was a miracle he was still alive. If they didn't take advantage of the miracle…

"Why do you think they should be trusted?" the Emperor said.

"Meaning no disrespect, Your Highness, but it's impossible for them to have done anything. They weren't _here_," he pointed out. "They just arrived from Earth and Sheen has mentioned them."

"I've never heard Sheen mention them," he said, frowning.

"He mentioned them a few times to me," Nesmith said. Sheen hadn't referenced them frequently, only in moments of severe homesickness, which Sheen acted oblivious to. Despite his pretensions, he was a child, alone on a distant world and far from Earth. Nesmith understood perfectly.

"And they're exactly as they appear?" the Emperor inquired.

Nesmith decided not to tell the Emperor Jimmy Neutron was, in all likelihood, the genius behind Sheen's rocket and could probably outwit the entire planet if he chose.

"Yes," he said. "There's no reason to imprison them in the Tower and every reason to excuse them and let them help us."

"You agree?" the Emperor said and turned to Aseefa.

She shrugged and tossed her braid from one shoulder to the other. "If his friends are great Earth warriors like him, then we can greatly use their help."

"Then it's decided," the Emperor said. He headed for a small room off to the side of the throne room where he maintained a writing desk and scrolls. Red carpet covered the floor and matching red wallpaper suited the walls. The desk was a handsome mahogany and had a padded chair in front of it. The Emperor hopped onto the chair, grabbed a pen, a scroll, and wrote an official edict for them. He handed it to them.

"Show this to the guards," he said. "Then go. I'm giving you leave to do whatever you feel is necessary for the next three days."

"Thank you," Nesmith said and bowed. He suppressed the desire to dance impatiently.

"You won't regret it," Aseefa said and took the scroll. They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then bolted, an exchanged glance telling the other they felt the urgency too. Three days wasn't nearly enough time to scour an entire planet.


	8. Monster

Author's Note: My anger and frustration with my personal situation probably bled heavily throughout this chapter. Mom's in the hospital and they don't know that much, which in turn makes me exceedingly frustrated. (This is is also why I've been updating sporadically). Dorkus turned into a despicable whatever he is. Heh.

Chapter Eight- Monster

Waiting and knowing nothing sucked. Cindy was losing patience, particularly with the way Jimmy and Libby barely refrained from arguing and knowing this was all Sheen's stupid fault for propelling himself into space. Cindy cared about Sheen a little, although she'd always found him irritating too, and the lack of information could drive anyone crazy. Was he really dead? He might not be. If he wasn't dead, how far away from death was he? What could they do? None of the things Jimmy had found in his stupid books had helped and nothing anyone could come up with did any good while they were trapped here.

Cindy was tempted to throw a book into the fire to relieve her frustration, except the fire had a grate in front of it. Convenient, if you asked her. She whirled, pacing anew, and Jimmy sighed, averting his gaze. She swallowed the urge to jump down his throat, since she knew Libby already had that taken care of. Libby was throttling her temper too and she knew Jimmy needed two females biting his head off like he needed a hole in the head. Then again, he could probably get rid of that excess brain he didn't need that way.

The door opened and Cindy, whose fists were balled, immediately jumped in front of Jimmy's chair. She didn't know exactly what she was defending Neutron _from_, but it seemed to be better to protect him than to stand idly by and let someone nab him.

Standing in front of the armed guards were the monkey and the blue skinned female they had glimpsed earlier. Nesmith, his name was. Cindy wasn't sure whether she'd known the girl's name or not, although Libby's eyes narrowed at the sight of her. Carl whimpered and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Cindy moved back, to keep Jimmy's chair from hitting her as the boy genius rose and faced Nesmith and the girl.

"By order of the Emperor, you four are dismissed from the Tower to help in the investigation," Nesmith said. "I told you I'd get you out, didn't I?"

"You did," Jimmy agreed. Carl flung himself at Nesmith's feet.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he screamed. "I thought we were going to die in here!"

"Don't be overdramatic, Carl," Jimmy said.

"My name is Aseefa," the girl said and thrust herself in between the groveling Carl and the nonplussed monkey. "I know _your _name, large headed human. Who are the rest?"

Jimmy, rolling his eyes at Carl, identified the group. Libby's lower lip curled.

"Who exactly are you?" she snapped.

"I told you," Aseefa said, blinking. "My name is Aseefa."

"That's not what I meant," Libby huffed.

"Guys, can we discuss this later?" Jimmy said. "They didn't free us for us to stand here and talk."

"Quite right," Nesmith agreed. "Time is of the essence. We can talk and walk while I tell you everything I know."

They exited, Carl yanked to his feet by the group, and followed Aseefa and Nesmith out into the hallway and along the corridors. Jimmy walked alongside the monkey and Libby, who seemed to sense some sort of competition or threat, forced herself to walk alongside Aseefa. Since the corridors weren't wide enough to allow four abreast, this led to a rather interesting scenario where Libby was constantly shoving Aseefa in order to stand incredibly close to her. If the situation weren't so serious, Cindy would find it amusing.

"We discovered Sheen was still alive, but just barely," Nesmith said. "We had a hard time convincing the Emperor to let you go, despite the fact it was obvious you couldn't have perpetuated the crime."

"Sheen's still alive," Jimmy said. The entire group stopped, prompting Carl to walk into Jimmy and Cindy to almost trip over Nesmith.

"He's been poisoned," Aseefa explained. "By a slow acting poison, but if we don't find the antidote, he'll be dead in three days."

"Then there's a chance…" Jimmy breathed and Cindy squeezed his shoulder. He trembled slightly and faced Nesmith. "What can we do to help?"

"We need to locate the real perpetrator first," Nesmith said. "His name is Dorkus and we believe he has to be somewhere on this planet."

"Gee, _that _narrows it down," Cindy scoffed.

"What if we can't find him?" Carl said. His face was white with anxiety.

Jimmy jerked his head at him. "Do you have any DNA I can use to track him? Hair? Anything?"

"We might be able to find something at his house," Nesmith said. "He abandoned it in a rush."

"Is there any particular reason you're glaring at me?" Aseefa said.

"I want to know who you are," Libby said. "To Sheen."

"Oh, well…" Aseefa said, frowning. "We're friends."

"Actually, Sheen has a crush on her," Nesmith said. Aseefa blinked.

"He does?" she said.

"He damn well better not," Libby muttered darkly.

"I thought he told you?" Nesmith said.

Aseefa shook her head and smiled, thoughtful. "That would…explain a lot."

"Like what'll happen to him after he wakes up and I'm through with him," Libby grumbled. Cindy smirked.

"Romantic matters aside, we do have more practical concerns," Nesmith said, staring from Libby, who looked homicidal to Aseefa, who continued to look thoughtful, although also pleased. Cindy thought if she wanted to survive her best friend's vengeance, she might want to wipe that smile off her face before Libby was tempted to rip it off. She didn't know what kind of warrior Aseefa thought she was…but Libby was vicious when she was spurned. And without Sheen present to vent her resentment and jealousy on…

They began walking again and Jimmy asked more questions, particularly about Sheen's current physical condition and his vital signs. Nesmith didn't know enough to give Jimmy more than a vague picture and Cindy jerked Libby back to walk with them rather than fling Aseefa into a wall. Libby's eyes flashed and she clamped her jaw shut, as if speaking might prompt her to do or say something she couldn't readily take back.

"If we can find a hair from Dorkus's apartment or something else with his DNA on it, then we should be able to find him no matter where he is, right?" Cindy said.

"Yes," Jimmy said. For a second, his expression turned as dark and foreboding as Libby's and Cindy shivered. There was a cold gleam in his eyes and she was suddenly very glad she'd never truly incited Jimmy's wrath.

"And then we can extract the antidote from him," Aseefa said. "Under any circumstances."

Jimmy uttered a short, barking laugh that sent chills down her spine. "That's right."

"We're not…we're not going to hurt him, are we?" Carl asked.

Jimmy didn't answer. Libby shuddered, eyes glittering dangerously, and Aseefa scoffed.

"We should show him just as much honor as he showed Sheen," Aseefa spat.

"Agreed," Jimmy snapped. Cindy kept her mouth shut. The overall mood was unnerving her. She didn't like to think of Jimmy as a vengeance seeking, overtly cruel boy genius. She loved him…and she loved him best when he was his normal, cheery self. Not like this.

* * *

Dorkus stewed. If Sheen wasn't dead, he needed to finish the job. With guards swarming the Capitol, there was no chance he'd be able to get anywhere near him. But the idea of Sheen still alive, it irked him. He should have planned it out fully and ensured the brat was dead. The idea he'd survive after all that…it was like fate spitting in his face. After all the attempts, the damn boy should be dead!

Dorkus paced, concealed in a cave and resenting it. Like he was a common criminal. Like he hadn't done the planet a favor ridding it of the child they fawned over. The kid wasn't exactly a genius and they acted like he was God. Were they all addled in the brain? Did they _have _brains? Oh…he was so angry, at this point, words defied him. He snarled, pounding his fist into the wall.

"What are you going to do, boss?" Pinter asked. "If he's not dead-"

"I know, you damn fool!" he snarled. "I should have wrung his neck!"

"But you didn't," Pinter said. Dorkus whirled on him and pounded him in the face. It didn't alleviate the fury and Pinter squeaked like a rubber ball. Dorkus trembled, wishing he could rid himself of the noisome creature for good. He settled for flinging him into the wall and chuckling cruelly when Pinter slid down with a whimper.

"I can't go back because if I do, the monkey will have me arrested," he snarled. "All because I tried to rid Zeenu of that meddlesome _child_. Why should anyone care if Sheen is alive or dead? He's much more useful dead."

He expected Pinter to counter it, but Pinter was recoiling against the cave's rear. Dorkus huffed; he really ought to be more considerate to the only person on Zeenu who wasn't going to rat him out right now. He ought to…but he was so frustrated Sheen wasn't _dead_.

Ignoring his companion, he assessed his options. Was there even a remote chance he could return to the Capitol and get there without being arrested? He wanted his dagger back and if he had that, he could slit the boy's throat. Then he would sever his head or any number of other violent, permanent moves to ensure the boy stayed dead. Poisoning him hadn't done it, even though it should have. Even though Sheen had fought him, which should have enabled the poison to act quicker. Oh, Sheen had fought when he realized Dorkus really wanted him dead.

Dorkus laughed. Poor scared child. That's all Sheen amounted to, in the end. Whimpering and pleading for his life. How pathetic. This was the child Zeenu idolized. He was astonished Sheen hadn't wet himself in terror, although he'd certainly done the petrified part right. Dorkus had eaten it up, adored hearing Sheen plead for his life and then deny him any mercy. Why should he show him mercy? He'd ousted him from his position near the Emperor and then acted like he owned the planet. Gods below, Dorkus loathed him.

"We're going back," he said. There was a pause and Dorkus looked at Pinter, who straightened and shook himself off. He flapped his wings and returned to his master's side.

"We are?" he asked.

"We are," Dorkus said. "I have to end this."

"But what about the guards? And Nesmith? And Sheen's friends?" Pinter protested.

"I don't care. I want him dead."

"But…" Pinter said and Dorkus glared.

"But _what_?" Dorkus spat.

"Don't you think, maybe…" Pinter mumbled and Dorkus couldn't hear the rest.

"Maybe _what_?" he snapped.

"Maybe…you've done enough?" Pinter said and ducked.

"He isn't dead!" Dorkus roared.

"But he's almost dead and you know, he could die anyway and…" Pinter trailed off and wouldn't look Dorkus in the eye. He was shaking so badly he could barely stay aloft.

"You're having second thoughts," Dorkus snapped. "You don't think I should do it."

"Well…um…he _is _only a child…" Pinter said. "And you know…he didn't do it deliberately…"

Dorkus stared at him for a moment. His insides seized up and he contemplated murder. Pinter trembled but seemed to gain confidence from Dorkus's silence, as if it indicated assent rather than Dorkus reining in his temper with severe difficulty.

"Would you like to join him?" Dorkus said dangerously and Pinter staggered. He blinked rapidly, doing a double take.

"What?" he said after a lull.

"Would you like to join him?" he said.

"No, no…" Pinter said and gulped. "I only meant-"

"Then keep your mouth shut," Dorkus hissed. "I've killed before and I'll kill again."

"But isn't Sheen the first person you've ever…" Pinter trailed off again, as if afraid of the answer. Dorkus only smiled in response.


	9. Game, Set, Match

Author's Note: So, here's the sitch. Mom's in rehab, school's halfway toward a disaster, and we've essentially been kicked out of our own house. I'm on spring break, though, so I shall definitely try to update again next week.

Chapter Nine: Game, Set, Match

Although the others passed the time to Dorkus's house with petty banter, Jimmy was silent. After a while, his throat constricted and he couldn't speak, even if he wanted to. When someone personally attacked one of his friends, it was hard to swallow his temper and this could still spell Sheen's death if they didn't handle things correctly. Combatting the rage was guilt. No matter what anyone said, he took it as his personal responsibility Sheen had disappeared and then nearly gotten murdered here. He could find and apprehend this 'Dorkus' and then, well…he wasn't sure. The solution was in a red haze and while he knew, in his heart, he could never really hurt someone, that didn't stop him from thinking it loudly.

Cindy shot him worried looks. Jimmy ignored her. She was walking so close to Libby, to prevent her from jumping down Aseefa's throat that any contact with Cindy would also bring Libby down on him. Carl trotted almost on Jimmy's heels and Jimmy bit back the urge to snap at him too. This wasn't Carl's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but Jimmy's and maybe Dorkus for whatever stupid insane notion had grabbed him, but if Sheen hadn't had access to the rocket, he wouldn't be here.

"The strong silent type?" Nesmith prompted and Jimmy jumped, startled.

"No…" Jimmy said. "Not usually."

"Normally, you can't get Neutron to stop," Cindy said.

"I think you're confusing me with you," he shot back.

"Yeah right," she said. "Put a new invention in front of you and then the entire fifth grade class and you'll just ramble and ramble."

"Put a new set of clothes in front of you and you'll ramble too," he retorted.

"Maybe if Jimmy weren't so busy inventing, he would have noticed one of his rockets was missing," Libby grumbled. Jimmy flinched and Cindy dropped the subject.

"You know," Nesmith said. "Given Sheen's personality, I think he would have taken the rocket no matter what precautions anyone took. And right now, we have to focus on curing him."

"And finding Dorkus," Jimmy added, his throat tight.

They proceeded again, along the sandy surface. Now that the sun had fallen, the heat had died down, replacing it with a desert chill that made Jimmy shiver. He couldn't see any local wildlife, although he stuck close to the group just in case. Goddard flew overhead and scanned everything, but, like his master, he had nothing to add. Jimmy was grateful for his company, also grateful he was the one creature who couldn't possibly blame him.

Dorkus's house was swarming with security and Nesmith halted, frowning.

"What is it?" Aseefa asked.

"Shouldn't they all be at Sheen's house making sure no one touches him?" Nesmith said. "Especially since we informed the Emperor Sheen was still alive."

"All of your security is _here_?" Jimmy said in alarm.

"Another demonstration of this planet's brilliance," Cindy muttered.

Nesmith turned on Jimmy and his eyes were huge. "If Dorkus is around and he realizes Sheen isn't dead either…"

"Pukin' Pluto, we gotta get to Sheen," Jimmy said. "Goddard, Flycycle mode!"

"What about us?" Cindy said.

"You go through Dorkus's house, see if you can find any plans, anything lying around that might be helpful," Jimmy said. "I've gotta get to Sheen before Dorkus does. And if I do…"

He didn't complete the sentence. Rage and frustration filled his face and Carl whimpered, stepping back. Cindy gulped and of all of them, only Libby met his gaze head on. Aseefa was looking toward Dorkus's house and then at Goddard, who had adopted a guise that Jimmy hopped onto and grabbed Goddard's ears. Nesmith looked from Goddard to the house and back.

"There isn't room for two on that, is there?" Aseefa said, staring at it doubtfully.

"No," he said. "And I didn't bring my jetpack. Hopefully, I'll be right back."

"Neutron, do you really think we're going to let you go to Sheen's house-" Cindy started.

"No time!" he said and wheeled Goddard about in midair. "I'll be back soon!"

Gunning Goddard's turbo boosts, he shot through the air and raced toward Sheen's house, which he could see on the horizon. It was fortunate, for once, that Sheen had such gaudy tastes. Goddard scanned the house from a distance and told him there were four life forms within, and only one was human. Jimmy gulped. He couldn't fathom the other two, but he'd be willing to bet one of them was Dorkus. At the thought, he squeezed the handlebars and revved the engine. He trembled and didn't know what might really happen if he and Dorkus were in the same place.

He knew what Cindy was about to say, what his friends had really wanted. He also knew he didn't have time to argue semantics with them. Anyone could lay their hands on Sheen now and finish the job. Heck, there wasn't much to finish. If Jimmy was going to save Sheen, he had to do it now, without waiting for a consensus.

Goddard's Flycycle mode was quick and it only took Jimmy two minutes from the sand in front of Dorkus's house to crash through Sheen's bedroom window. There he flung himself off Goddard and waited for his eyes to adjust. The bedroom was bright, offending light after tearing off in the dark, and one of the voices sounded familiar and alien at the same time.

"Stand aside, damn you!" a harsh, older male said.

"Oh…oh…but I can't leave you again…" a younger boy moaned. It sounded so familiar, Jimmy did a double take.

"Carl?" he said.

"Oh great, company," the man snapped. Jimmy stared at him. He wore a black robe, the hood overshadowing his face, and he had a large, beak nose with cruel eyes. His fists balled and Goddard snapped his teeth at the man's face. Jimmy's heart raced.

"Dorkus, I presume?" he snapped. He stared, his vision settled, and saw a green alien looking remarkably like his red haired friend in front of the bed. "Who the heck are you?"

"My name's Doppi," Doppi said. "And…and he's gonna hurt Sheen. And I ran away last time, but I won't now!"

"Hurt Sheen?" Dorkus said. An eyeball with wings flapped frantically around Dorkus's head.

"It was a bad idea, I told you that, master," the eyeball said. "You didn't listen to me."

"Silence, Pinter," Dorkus snapped. "Now, Doppi, why would you think I'd hurt Sheen? I'm just going to give him the help he deserves."

"By finishing the job?" Jimmy snapped. "You're the one who poisoned him. Goddard, sic 'em!"

"Goddard?" Dorkus said blankly. "What's a 'Goddard'?"

In a flash of steel teeth and claws, Goddard flung himself at Dorkus. Pinter moved to protect his master and Goddard shot out a rubber hand to smack the eyeball creature into the wall. Doppi whimpered, withdrawing against the wall and eying Sheen. Jimmy's gaze jumped from Sheen to Dorkus and Goddard; Goddard had his teeth at Dorkus's neck and Jimmy knew he could and would kill him if given the cue. He shivered, but…he didn't tell Goddard to back off. Goddard could hold that position for a while without tiring. Dorkus attempted to smack Goddard off and Goddard responded by injecting him with a muscle relaxant.

"You really thought you were going to finish him off," Jimmy snapped. "What? You get your sick kicks out of hurting a thirteen year old kid? Did Sheen _threaten _you? How pathetic are you to find him threatening."

The muscle relaxant disabled his ability to move, but not his ability to talk. Dorkus's gaze landed upon him and Goddard moved, shooting out a butterfly net to ensnare Pinter and then trap him within his shell.

"I could tell Goddard to kill you right now," Jimmy said. He hardly knew himself. He was shaking in rage, so consumed by it he couldn't think straight, could barely think at all. He almost thought he could do it himself.

"And you must be Jimmy Neutron," Dorkus said. Of everything Jimmy might have been expecting, that wasn't it.

"Yeah, I am," Jimmy said. "Lemme guess. You've been eavesdropping on Sheen, just so you can know when to strike."

"Bested by a child when the real threat was his friend," Dorkus said. "Ah, the irony."

"You're going to tell me what you gave him and exactly what you did to him, so we can fix it," Jimmy said. "And then, well…I'm sure this planet will find a suitable punishment for you."

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Dorkus said. "What are you going to do? Torture me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he shot back.

"The way I see it- even if you capture me and people demand to hear what I did, I don't have to tell them anything," he said, smiling blithely. "Do you have a truth serum, Jimmy Neutron? Can you _make _me talk?"

He gritted his teeth. The truth serum had never cleared the testing phase, because of various side effects, including diarrhea and upset stomach. Moreover, it was on Earth, where it would be utterly unhelpful. His vision clouded for a second, narrowing to Dorkus with Goddard at his throat, and Jimmy balled his fists, which were shaking too hard to effectively hit anything. His chest ached and he inhaled shakily, not trusting himself for a moment to speak.

"Fine," he said. "Don't tell us. Goddard can take a sample and analyze its composition. We don't need you."

"Then you won't mind my telling you there might be a time accelerant in the poison and he might only live another day and a half, not three?" Dorkus said.

Jimmy had never wanted to throttle someone more in his life. He knew it wouldn't accomplish anything and he knew this smug troglodyte wouldn't tell him anything, but damn it, it was so tempting.

"No," Jimmy said through clenched teeth. "Not at all."

* * *

Dorkus's abode looked like a medieval torture chamber. Although they sprang no traps entering, there were a disturbing amount of blades, sharp implements, and poisons lingering, carefully marked, but still disturbing. Aseefa and Libby made a beeline for the desk while Nesmith and Cindy examined the bottles Dorkus kept in a cabinet. Carl stayed out of everyone's way. Cindy tried not to think about the possible trap Jimmy had rushed into and tried not to verbally abuse him in her thoughts. There'd be time to berate him later.

"They're not labeled," Cindy grumbled. "Great. How do we know what's poison and what's a cooking element?"

"Maybe someone could taste them?" Carl said.

From across the room, Aseefa looked up from a notebook. Libby held an identical one and scanned it furiously.

"My Chocktaw could help," she said. "He can eat anything without getting too sick."

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work," Nesmith said. "We're trying to identify what made Sheen sick and locate the antidote. In a species immune to most poisons, we'd never know."

Cindy scanned the bottles. They were clear, various colors, and various consistencies. "What about the notebook, Libbs?"

"This guy's crazy," Libby snapped. "He's been writing out plans on how to kill Sheen since he got here."

"I remember a few of these," Aseefa said. "They seemed unlikely to succeed."

"A backup plan for a backup plan…" Libby said. "There's gotta be a plan in here for every day of the week. Six months' worth of them."

"Maybe if we went chronologically…" Aseefa mused. "For example, the plan with the play happened a couple months ago. Oh, but I wasn't _here _for most of this…"

"Off romancing another stranded human?" Libby snapped. Cindy grimaced.

"What?" Aseefa said, blinking rapidly. "What are you talking about?"

"That monkey here-"

"That monkey has a name, you know," Nesmith grumbled. They ignored him.

"That monkey here says Sheen has a crush on you," Libby continued. "I'm here to tell you that if anyone in this room is his girlfriend, it's _me_."

Aseefa did a double take. Cindy could see her assessing the proper response to someone who was just as worried as her about Sheen and the proper species, to boot. Behind her, Nesmith had stopped peering at the bottles and watched Libby and Aseefa.

"Sheen never mentioned you," Aseefa said.

Libby cracked her knuckles. "After he wakes up and I slap him upside the head, we'll see how things change."

"I…" At a loss, Aseefa looked at Nesmith. "Is this normal for human society? Sheen told me he was a great warrior."

Cindy laughed. "The only thing Sheen ever fought was a line at an Ultra Lord convention."

Aseefa stared at Cindy now. "He was the best, the greatest in his generation."

This time, both girls laughed.

"Girl, if you believe that one…" Libby said.

"He was lying, then?" Aseefa said.

"Not lying," Nesmith said. "Stretching the truth. He does like you, after all."

Aseefa glowered. "In my culture, lying can be a serious offense."

"Good, then you can leave him alone," Libby muttered.

"No, I don't think so," Aseefa said. They locked gazes and the hostility was palpable. Libby balled her fists and then grabbed Aseefa by the collar.

"You stay away from Sheen if you know what's good for you," Libby growled.

"You will release me at once if you know what's good for _you_," Aseefa countered.

"Oh boy…" Cindy muttered.

"I don't know what was going on behind my back here, but it's gonna stop right now," Libby said. Aseefa flung her across the room and into the desk before Cindy had a chance to blink.

"That's right," she countered. "It is."

Libby rolled with it and sprang back to her feet. She didn't have the training Cindy had and raw anger could be channeled, but if Aseefa was half the warrior she claimed…Cindy moved in front quickly.

"I know you're upset, Libby-"

"Damn right I'm upset!" Libby snapped and tried to shove Cindy out of the way. Cindy whirled, wrenching Libby's arms behind her back. Squawking in outrage, Libby fought her wildly and Cindy knocked her feet out from under her.

"If this girl is half the warrior she thinks she is, you're gonna get your butt handed to you," Cindy hissed.

"And I'm supposed to let her keep Sheen and have her walk all over me?" Libby snarled.

Cindy moved so her arm was around Libby's neck and she pressed her against her, the other arm pinned behind her back.

"You're supposed to realize this isn't helping and if we want to save Sheen, you have to worry about this _later_," she hissed.

Libby trembled and was silent. For the span of a few heartbeats, nothing happened. And then Libby screamed, an animal cry of pain and rage, and fell silent. Cindy shuddered.

"For now, maybe," she said. "But you'd better switch with me."

Cindy released her and Libby glared at Aseefa from across the room.

"I sure hope Jimmy gets back soon," Libby muttered.


	10. Endgame

Author's Note: Next chapter is the epilogue!

Chapter Ten: Endgame

Jimmy returned rapidly with Dorkus in tow. Goddard had, as security precautions, bound and gagged the alien. Jimmy's gaze was hot and unpleasant, compelling Carl to look away. Several terse moments passed. Libby and Aseefa halted, glaring at each other from across the room, and Cindy had her hand on another memo pad. She knew the situation was too dire for Jimmy to smile, but his uncharacteristic silence and coldness made her edgy. She tabled her discomfort and broke the silence.

"Where was he?" she said.

"At Sheen's house," Jimmy said. He looked through her. "Trying to finish the job."

Libby glared. "He didn't succeed, did he?"

"No," Jimmy said curtly. He looked at Nesmith, who also shuddered at the penetrating gaze. "This planet must have a holding cell for criminals. And not the Tower we were in."

"As far as I know, there isn't one," Nesmith said. "A crime of this magnitude is unheard of."

An annoying little eyeball with wings flapped incessantly by Jimmy's head. Jimmy ignored it and strode forward. "Then what's the next best place?"

Nesmith's gaze landed upon Dorkus. Another painful silence passed. Although they were two different species, they shared the same disdainful, malevolent look. Dorkus was still conscious, his eyes roving the room, and Libby growled, moving to stand before him. Aseefa had moved too, so quickly Cindy hadn't been aware she'd gone, and Carl retreated to a corner. It wasn't that he approved of Dorkus's actions, but high hostility freaked him out.

"Here will do," Nesmith said, with an eye toward the numerous torture devices.

Jimmy jerked his head. "I don't want him feeling comfortable."

"There's a prison chamber downstairs," the eyeball said quickly and Dorkus shot him an incredibly dirty look.

"Pinter," Jimmy said at Cindy's questing look. She inclined her head.

"We could always let Dorkus battle in hand to hand combat," Nesmith suggested.

"Bound and gagged," Libby grumbled.

"He has no intention of telling us what he used, does he?" Aseefa asked.

Jimmy shook his head violently. Then his gaze descended upon Pinter, who dropped in midair and flew back toward his master. Dorkus looked like he wanted to smash Pinter into a wall.

"But someone else might," Jimmy said. Pinter gulped.

"I can't betray him," Pinter protested.

"Why?" Libby said harshly. "It's not like you've got anything to gain from it."

"But-but he's my _master_," Pinter replied.

"I bet he hasn't treated you right a day in your life," Jimmy said. Rather than answer, Pinter backed up, ducking behind his master. His wing beats, leathery whispers, echoed in the chamber. The silence was heavy, ponderous, and Jimmy's gaze rested squarely on Pinter.

"Even if it would save Sheen's life?" Jimmy said.

"Maybe I could smack some sense into him," Libby growled.

She and Aseefa exchanged cold looks. "The right amount of force might prove beneficial."

"No," Jimmy said. He folded his arms across his chest and stared. "I have a better idea."

The silence returned and it stretched. Libby and Aseefa itched to move, both massaging their knuckles and glaring at Dorkus. Despite the fact Cindy severely doubted he'd escape unscathed, Dorkus remained cool and collected, as if this were nothing more taxing than breakfast. Carl shuffled his feet and looked Dorkus in the eye to glare. Nesmith folded his arms across his chest, Jimmy's simian mirror image.

"You're going to tell us what it is, right, Neutron?" Cindy said sharply.

"There's a smaller room in here we can use?" he asked of Nesmith, who nodded.

"We'll be right back then," Jimmy said and snatched at Pinter. Startled, the creature flew higher, only for Goddard to snag him with a butterfly net. Jimmy's glare intensified and, with Pinter slung over his back like dead game, he scanned the room, located an alcove, and walked out with Goddard at his heels.

"Should we stay here?" Carl asked anxiously.

"See if you can find the answer in the notebooks," Jimmy advised, ducking his head back in.

"What shall we do with _him _in the meanwhile?" Aseefa spat.

"I favor a little tough love," Libby said and smacked her fist into her palm. Jimmy, Pinter, and Goddard were gone and Libby yanked the gag out of Dorkus's mouth. Dorkus smiled.

"That thing tasted wretched," he said. He looked up at Libby, glaring at him. "You know, children don't scare me."

"Maybe we should," Libby said. Aseefa stood on Dorkus's other side.

"In my tribe, what you did merits death," Aseefa spat. "And not confessing spells the longest, most excruciating kind."

Dorkus stared past them. "Things would have gone so much easier if Sheen had died."

"He might still die!" Libby snapped. "What the hell is your problem?"

She punted him in the shins and Aseefa held up a hand.

"What? Why should I listen to _you_?" Libby snapped.

"I have seen this done before," Aseefa said. "Not on Zeenu, but on my home planet."

"No offense, blue girl, but I've known Sheen for a hell of a lot longer than you," she said. "And I'm not going to pussyfoot around and wait around for you to pull some crackpot theory-"

"Libbs," Cindy said warningly.

"Is this how Earth females behave when threatened?" Aseefa retorted. "You forget everything else and go straight for the attack? Don't you have any sense of finesse?"

"You think waiting for him to crack is really going to work?" Libby countered. "Roughing up might make him-"

"You know nothing," Aseefa said darkly. "You have never held a person prisoner before."

"No one's ever tried to kill my boyfriend and then showed his ugly face around the crime scene," Libby shot back.

"He's not your boyfriend," Aseefa said, moving so they were within inches of each other.

"Ladies, don't we have more important things to do?" Nesmith said. They ignored him. Carl moaned and Cindy wedged herself between them.

"The Earth girl wants this settled now," Aseefa said. "She has accused me of stealing her boyfriend."

"Damn right I have," Libby snapped. "At least _we're _both human."

Cindy tried to keep herself as a living block, but it was no use. Aseefa flung her aside so quickly Cindy noticed herself in motion by the time she bounced off a table. Meanwhile, Aseefa smacked Libby across the face, bowled her over, and pointed her spear at Libby's throat.

"You are lucky I do not believe in striking an unarmed opponent," she said, throwing the spear aside. Cindy breathed easier, for a fraction of a second. And then Aseefa drop kicked Libby into a corner of the lab. Libby crashed into a cabinet near the rear and Cindy jumped in front of Aseefa.

"Look, if you want to fight someone, fight me," Cindy said. "Leave Libby alone."

"_You _weren't dating him too, were you?" Aseefa snapped.

"Oh god no," Cindy said.

"She's dating Jimmy," Carl said and Cindy threw him a truly disgusted look. In the time it took for her to do that, Aseefa had leapt over her and seized Libby by the throat. Libby struggled, kicking and flinging wild punches. One of them glanced off Aseefa's cheekbone.

"I could kill you," Aseefa said. "Then you wouldn't have to worry about Sheen."

As one, Cindy and Nesmith rushed forward. Aseefa dumped Libby on the floor and huffed.

"If Sheen had a girlfriend, he would have told me," Aseefa said.

"Now that we've gotten that out of our system, can we _please _get back to the task at hand?" Nesmith pleaded.

Libby gasped and Cindy glared, knowing her best friend was outmatched but still pissed off Aseefa felt the need to prove it. Then again, if someone had staked a claim on Neutron, she'd probably have done the same thing. She remembered April and she flushed. Okay, she'd act exactly the same. That didn't mean she was going to admit it.

"Libby, are you okay?" Carl whispered.

Libby, relearning to breathe, didn't answer. Cindy glared at Aseefa, who shrugged. Stuck up little twit. Cindy was tempted to take her on as retribution, but it wouldn't solve anything. And her blood lust was nothing compared to the others. While she was always beneath the surface furious, this hadn't reached a fever pitch. And after they were done on Zeenu, they'd probably never see Aseefa again.

Aseefa, acting as if nothing had happened, snatched a book off the table and skimmed it. Cindy massaged Libby's throat and Libby spat in Aseefa's direction. The alien girl acted like it had never happened.

"As soon as Sheen wakes up," Libby vowed, "I'm gonna kill him."

Cindy smirked. She wondered how Neutron was faring.

* * *

Jimmy stared at Pinter, who was ensnared within the butterfly net. He throttled his temper and tried not to otherwise abuse the help. It probably wasn't Pinter's fault. Holding Pinter accountable for what Dorkus had done was like holding Eustace's butler accountable. He was an accessary, but he might be afraid of his master too. Obviously, there was an imbalance of power.

They were within a small, stone indentation. It couldn't rightfully be called a room when it was no bigger than a closet. The ceiling was sloped downward, barely a foot over his head; once Goddard had shut the door his brain provided the only illumination. The walls were cold, forcing Jimmy to suppress shivers, and their texture was smooth. His mouth dried out.

There was a logical, empirical way to approach this. It didn't involve emotions. He had to be rational. He inhaled deeply, exhaled, and willed himself to calm. After a sufficient amount of time had passed, he opened his eyes again and looked at Pinter.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Pinter informed him.

"I don't expect you to," he said. Pinter sighed, relieved.

"Then why are we here?"

"How long have you been working for Dorkus?"

Startled, he blinked. "Um, well…let's see. Next Tuesday makes it ten years."

"How did you two meet?"

"He put an ad in the paper," he said. "Morally dubious cloaked alien seeks aide in the lab."

"And have you ever been his aide?" Jimmy asked.

"Once or twice, I've helped him out," he said. He puffed himself up, as much as an eyeball with wings could. "I'm very important to him."

Jimmy somehow doubted that. "And you've agreed with everything he's done."

"No…" he admitted. "But I thought I'd go along anyway. We're friends, you see. I help him, and eventually…well, he hasn't helped me out yet, but I'm sure he will."

"What did you do before you met Dorkus?" He would have paced, but there was no room. Goddard's glowing brain cast an eerie shadow upon the proceedings.

"Um, well…I don't remember. It seems like I've always been with Dorkus."

"What did he do before Sheen showed up?"

"He was the emperor's royal advisor," he answered. "He always wanted more power than that, though. And once Sheen crashed into Zeenu, Dorkus got really jealous."

"I can imagine," Jimmy said dryly. They lapsed into silence again, Jimmy determining where he wanted the conversation to head. "Would you say you feel comfortable around Dorkus?"

"He has hit me a few times, and he threatened to kill me earlier today…" Pinter winced. "He said he'd already killed someone else, but he was just joking. He jokes like that."

Jimmy kept silent. He sensed he was on the cusp of something, and if he nudged a little more, Pinter might gush information like a leaky faucet.

"He's never hurt anyone…he's hurt Sheen, but…" Pinter hesitated.

"But what?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you."

It was like dealing with a naughty child. In lieu of wringing his hands, he bounced up and down. "No, no, mustn't tell you."

Jimmy didn't speak. He stared at a patch of wall directly before him and waited.

"It's not like it was my _fault_."

Silence ensued. Goddard's whirling processes chipped away at it and at Pinter's guilt.

"It's not like it did any real harm. And none of his past plans worked."

Pinter flapped up and down, agitated. "I didn't want him dead."

Quietly, almost inaudible, Jimmy prompted, "So what did you do?"

"I switched the bottles," Pinter said. "He never would have noticed…and it…" He stopped and shuddered. "The master's never liked children. I remember when the emperor's son fell sick he'd always give him medicine and then leave the room."

Pinter wiped a tear away. "It was so sad when the emperor's son died."

Jimmy's throat constricted. He strayed from the obvious question and instead asked, "Was the medicine bottle the same as he gave Sheen?"

"No…" he said. "This was…different. The test animals he'd used it on all died instantly and I told the master maybe he should draw it out…but he didn't wanna listen..."

Pinter slammed into the wall. "So I…so I…I…" He trembled violently. "I shouldn't have, but…I could never understand…"

"Understand what?" Jimmy said softly.

"Why he hated Sheen!" he blurted. "I…I'm not saying I loved him, but…he never hurt anyone. Not on purpose, anyway."

Jimmy didn't speak. He wondered it too. Pinter gulped and stared at the wall.

"So…so I…I…put some water in the bottle…" he whispered. "It wasn't a lot…but it…it slowed it down…and…and I…I…mixed it with juice…so…so maybe…maybe he wouldn't…"

"You diluted it," Jimmy murmured.

"It's not my fault!" Pinter cried. "I had to! And if the master didn't notice…he wasn't going to notice…he'd be so happy once Sheen was gone, it didn't matter…"

"What was in the bottle?"

"Cherry juice, water….and datura," Pinter. "I think he called it that."

Jimmy tried not to skip in excitement. He knew what the antidote was- physostigmine salicylate. Not only that, but if they could find the right ingredients, Sheen should be conscious again in no time. He grinned at Pinter, who looked uncertain.

"You're not going to tell Dorkus I said anything, are you?" he said anxiously. "Or tell him what I did?"

"You saved Sheen's life!" Jimmy said. He beamed and Pinter hesitated.

"But I'll make the master so mad…" he said.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about what Dorkus thinks for a long time," Jimmy said.

"What makes you say that?" Pinter said fretfully.

Jimmy opened the door and let the stale air in. "Call it a hunch."


	11. Daybreak

Epilogue: Daybreak

Sheen woke up to an angelic face smiling down upon him. Her cocoa colored skin shone with an inner radiance and her braids hung down perfectly symmetrical, not a strand out of place. Startled to see her, with no clear recollection what had knocked him out, he beamed and reached for her. And she slapped him across the face.

"What the hell is your problem?" Libby snarled.

"Libby!" Jimmy cried and yanked her back before she hit him again. She growled and Cindy intervened. Sitting up, Sheen beheld Carl, who beamed; Jimmy, who was anxious but still relieved; Cindy, who didn't appear to care one way or another; Aseefa, who was scowling but also relieved; Nesmith, who was actually eating a banana (ha); and Pinter?

Pinter levitated, fretting. Aseefa moved aside and the Emperor was behind her.

"You're awake!" the Emperor said. "The cure worked!"

"Of course it did," Sheen said. "What cure?"

"You were poisoned," Jimmy said, scowling. "How much do you remember?"

"Uh..." Sheen paused.

"Enough to remember that you've been messing around with another girl behind my back?" Libby snarled.

"Not that," Sheen said.

"Now that you're awake, after you've had sufficient time to recover, you'll be returning to Earth," Jimmy said and then frowned. "Aren't you?"

Jimmy released Libby, huffing and rubbing her arms, and she folded her arms across her chest. The look on her face reminded him of the burning sensation swallowing Dorkus's poison. It almost made him wish he was poisoned again, just to avoid her fury.

"Uh..." Sheen stared at his best friends, whom he hadn't seen in months. He looked at the Emperor, Aseefa, Nesmith, Pinter, and then at Doppi, who was saddling into the room. On Earth, he was no one. He was Jimmy's sidekick, a role he hadn't minded, but no one hung on his every word. No one thought he was the be all end all. He was just a kid. There was a lot less pressure on Earth, but...there was no prestige.

On Zeenu, everyone adored him. On Earth, he had good friends, friends who had gone across the universe to rescue him. But...

"Don't you want to return to Earth?" Nesmith said softly.

He had good friends here too. He loved running around with Aseefa, Nesmith, and Doppi, and having no school. And if he left Zeenu, he'd have to leave them behind. (Not to mention go back to school). Well, maybe not Nesmith because Nesmith had wanted to return since he'd met him, but everyone else would be gone. His heart wrenched. How could he decide?

"You can't tell me you want to stay here," Libby said, hands on her hips.

"You can always visit," Jimmy reminded him.

Sheen stared at the group again. Thinking hurt his brain and this involved pretty deep thoughts. His gaze settled upon Jimmy and stayed there. Jimmy was staring at him with a combination of hope and worry. He didn't really want to go back...but...

"I don't know what I want," he said aloud. "Here, I'm the Emperor's adviser..."

"That's right, Sheen," the Emperor piped up.

"But you _belong _on Earth," Nesmith commented.

Sheen didn't look at him. Jimmy's face fell and, as usual, his emotions were there to read like an open book. And as usual, Jimmy's emotion state affected him more than anyone else's. Libby glowered and Cindy looked apathetic, but he and Cindy had never gotten along and he ignored her. He glanced at Carl, whose lower lip was quivering.

"Boy, don't tell me we went all that way for nothing," Libby snapped.

"On Earth, you would be among your own kind," Aseefa said sorrowfully. She didn't want to let him go anymore than he wanted to go. But his friends, aside from Libby who looked homicidal, would be disappointed if he didn't return. Grimacing, he settled on Pinter, the sore thumb in this equation.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Pinter said. He was floating by the Emperor, as if he were using him to defend himself. The Emperor moved closer and stood by Sheen's bedside table. Jimmy and Libby were still on the other side of Sheen's bed, although Cindy and Carl were further back, with Doppi, Aseefa and Nesmith closer to the door than his bed.

"And to tell you there is a banquet being held in your honor tonight," the Emperor said. "To celebrate your joyous return from the dead."

"I'm not sure Sheen should be feasting just yet..." Jimmy cautioned.

"I'm fine!" he insisted and flung the sheets aside. "Show me where the party is!"

"You're not going anywhere until we get a few things straight," Jimmy said coldly. The tone took Sheen aback and Jimmy looked at the Zeenuians. "Can you excuse us for a few minutes? This is rather personal."

"Of course," Aseefa said, inclining her head but shooting Libby a cool look. They filed out. Jimmy shut the door and glared at Sheen.

"You've been here for months and it's like we don't exist?" Libby snapped.

"I was having fun," he said. "It's like paradise. No school, no homework-"

"No father who's worried sick about you," Cindy interjected.

"No friends who have been alternatively trying to track you and being blamed for your disappearance," Jimmy added. "I told you not to take the rocket, Sheen."

Sheen shrugged. "Not really. It looked like you had left all those cards, but who can really tell who J.N. is?"

The look on Jimmy's face made Sheen freeze and then squirm like a naughty child. He didn't like when Jimmy got this angry. In truth, normally he didn't stay angry- he took care of whatever was bugging him. This time, Jimmy just glared. As Sheen stared from one friend to another, he saw Jimmy's expression mirrored. Sheen gritted his teeth- he had forgotten about his father. Although he supposedly had written letters to his grandmother, it was more like a diary than a pen pal.

"So I made a mistake," he said. "You can't tell me none of you have."

"Not everyone disappears for months without notice and then decides he doesn't want to be rescued," Jimmy snapped.

"I didn't say I didn't want it," Sheen hedged.

"You sure aren't acting like you're happy to see us," Libby hissed.

"I am..." Sheen said. "It's kinda hard to jump up for joy when you're all looking at me like I killed Goddard."

"Do you want to come home or not?" Jimmy said.

"You'd better want to," Libby threatened.

Sheen hesitated. He could understand their anger, although not entirely, but it was Jimmy's fury he found the hardest to deal with. Libby had a temper, although it was infrequent compared to Cindy, but he must have really upset Jimmy. His stomach knotted. He had never been on bad terms with his best friend before. Jimmy was the glue that held the trio together.

"Can't you ask me again after the feast?" he said, smiling weakly. Jimmy didn't smile back. His eyes flashed and Sheen shrank back. It was almost as if Jimmy became more when he was angry, like he doubled in size like an angry cat.

"No," he said. In a more neutral tone, he added, "Sheen, the only reason we knew where you were was because your space suit sent out a beacon...after it thought you were dead. We didn't know for six months what happened to you."

"All because you had to break into Jimmy's lab and steal his rocket," Libby snapped. "And then run off with some alien floozy-"

"We're not discussing that now," Jimmy hissed.

"I knew you'd find me," Sheen said. Jimmy looked unconvinced.

"We didn't know what had happened for six months and it turns out you were perfectly fine until this happened," Jimmy said. "You were having a ball and not even missing us. It was like we didn't exist."

"Like we didn't matter!" Libby snapped.

"Yeah, what have you got to say for yourself?" Cindy snapped.

"I'm sorry," Sheen said and forced himself to meet their gazes. They were in a circle around his bed. "Days turned into weeks and months and I don't know how to fix a ship. And I didn't know how to contact you guys and...I was having fun. It's not like I completely forgot. I told Nesmith about you."

"You told Nesmith about Jimmy," Libby said flatly.

"Yeah, but how couldn't I? He's so cool...even though he's glaring at me..." Sheen said.

"It was also _my _rocket you stole," Jimmy huffed.

"Yeah...about that...that rocket's not going anywhere any time soon..." Sheen said.

"I know," Jimmy snapped. "I saw."

"How long are you all going to stay angry at me?" Sheen said.

"That depends," Libby snapped. "Are you coming home or staying here?"

"I just woke up," Sheen protested. "How can you expect me to make a decision on an empty stomach?"

"I know I can't," Carl said and everyone glared at him. He shuffled his feet and busily made himself look smaller, an amusing task that mostly involved him ducking behind Cindy and Libby.

"I don't want to force you to come back with us, but I will if I have to," Jimmy declared.

"What happened to 'do you want to go home or stay here'? That sounds kinda like you're ordering me around," Sheen said.

"We saved your life," Jimmy said. "If we hadn't come here, you would have died."

"And this is how you repay us?" Libby snapped. "Running off with a monkey, a freaky slimy alien, and some girl with blue hair who needs to back off?"

"But if I come back to Earth, I have to go to school...and, you know...be normal again," Sheen said. Jimmy's expression softly slightly.

"And you could be with us again," he said. "Don't you miss Earth?"

"Yeah, but I miss a lot of things..." he said. "Like Ultra Lord...and the Candy Bar...and maybe not having Dorkus try to kill me every week- that was getting old real fast- and not having Princess Oom try to lick me all the time- and not feeling like I'm stuck in a really bad sitcom that just happens to be animated..."

Jimmy didn't speak. He stared at Sheen again; his gaze was making him uncomfortable. For a moment, he stared at his bedspread. He'd miss not having a house the dimensions of his head and everyone adoring him. But...it wasn't worth losing his friends.

"I'll come back," he said quietly.

"I think that's the most amount of time you've ever thought about anything," Jimmy said.

"Probably," Sheen agreed.

"And when you come back, we're going to have a long discussion about attempting to date alien girls," Libby warned him.

Sheen grimaced and didn't comment. The problem was that he liked both Libby and Aseefa, for different reasons. They were both strong, confident girls and Aseefa idolized him. Then again, once she discovered the truth about him, she might not like him as much. Libby at least liked him for his real attributes...or maybe not right now, since she looked pissed.

"So..." Carl said, to break the tension. "Who's ready to party?"

* * *

A couple hours later, everyone had arrived in the palace's dancing hall. Nesmith, Aseefa, and Doppi had dressed for the event. Pinter, as it turned out, was being offered diplomatic immunity. He was there too, looking out of place and uncertain. Cindy, Carl, Jimmy, and Libby, not having any suitable attire to change into, remained the same. And Sheen had managed to find a tuxedo, from where was anyone's guess.

"I hope you've learned your lesson," Jimmy said.

"No, not really," Sheen admitted. Jimmy glared. "Kidding."

"It's good to have you back," Jimmy said. Sheen detected a hint of coolness in his eyes, though, a warning not all was forgiven.

"We really missed you," Carl said. "It just wasn't the same."

Jimmy nodded. Libby continued to glower, arms folded across her chest. Cindy glanced at Jimmy and they exchanged a silent conversation before Cindy led Libby and Carl away. Libby didn't particularly want to go, judging by the venomous look she shot Sheen, but she allowed Cindy to guide her off.

"So, what's been going on in Retroville since I left?" Sheen asked.

"Nothing," Jimmy said curtly. Sheen winced. He was still angry. Usually, Jimmy's anger cooled after a while, but he must have really upset him. He didn't know how to make it right, either. Hesitant, he touched Jimmy's shoulder.

"Hey, uh, you can have half of what I make as the Emperor's adviser," Sheen offered. "Not that I make any money, but you can have half."

"This isn't about that," Jimmy said. "I realize you couldn't have contacted Earth after you left, but…didn't you miss us? At all?"

"I told Nesmith about you," Sheen said. "Doesn't that count for anything? Crazy monkey sidekick?"

From a few feet away, over by the punch bowl where bananas were stacked, Nesmith called, "I am not your sidekick."

"You hesitated before you said yes," Jimmy said.

"Yeah, but I said it," Sheen said. "C'mon, Jimmy. Isn't there anything you'd give up your friends and family for? Some science-y thing?"

"I'd never abandon my friends and family," Jimmy said.

"Not even for a Nobel Prize?" Sheen said. For a second, Jimmy's eyes lit up, and then he shook his head and scowled.

"No. We'll discuss it on the ride home," Jimmy said.

"Thanks for saving me," Sheen said. "Nesmith told me what happened."

Jimmy's lips twisted. It wasn't a smile- closer to a grotesque parody of one. Sheen didn't like it. It was like Jimmy was close to him emotionally and yet the gap between them was more than he could bridge. The distance bothered him. He didn't really care that much for Carl, but Jimmy…

"You're welcome."

"I'll clean the lab for you," he offered.

"I'd rather you didn't," Jimmy said, his lips a moue of displeasure.

"Uh, I'll walk Goddard! I'll do your homework!"

"Sheen, with the amount of school you missed, you're going to have enough trouble doing your own homework," he pointed out. "You're going to have to repeat the grade."

"Again?" he groaned.

"You missed six months," he reminded him. "Not even summer school is going to help."

"Couldn't you make me smart again?" he protested and the look on Jimmy's face silenced him. He shouldn't be asking Jimmy for any more favors in the near future, not until he had forgiven him.

"We'll see," was all he said. Forcing a smile that looked downright painful, he said, "Shouldn't you be celebrating? This is your party, after all."

"Oh, yeah!" he said. He headed straight for the thickest group of party-goers and attempted to crowd surf. He'd miss it here, but…he could always visit, right?

He glanced back at Jimmy and Jimmy was smiling slightly. And Sheen knew, despite Jimmy's anger, he'd be good with him sooner or later. Libby would probably be pissed for a while after that, but everything should be okay. At least Dorkus was behind bars.

* * *

Dorkus paced the Tower of Twenty Years. He hadn't been placed in a luxurious penthouse. Instead, he was inside a small cell with iron bars and a sleeping guard.

"Hello?" he called. "If you let me out, I'll put in a good word for you."

The guard responded by slumping on the floor and banging his pike against the bars. The tip of it touched Dorkus's nose.

"I'll take that as a no," Dorkus said. He grimaced. Not only had his plan failed, but Pinter had left him. And now he had lost all credibility with the Emperor, not to mention Zeenu at large. Could this get any worse?

A bird landed atop the space between the metal bars of his prison. It looked like BeeBaw and Dorkus grimaced.

"Please don't tell me you're going to sing," Dorkus said. And, on cue, the bird opened up its many mouths and began caterwauling. Dorkus groaned.

"Remind me not to ask how things could get any worse," he muttered.

* * *

"Bye! I'll write! And send back lots of Earth stuff!" Sheen promised as Jimmy geared up to go. Nesmith was beside him and smiling fondly, both at the idea of leaving Zeenu and of Sheen's promises.

"What exactly were you and that Zeenu girl?" Libby snapped.

"We were just friends," Sheen said. "You know I'd never forget you."

Libby glared. She didn't look convinced.

"Just like you didn't forget anyone else?" Cindy said acidly.

"Just how long are you guys gonna hold this over me?"

"Long enough for you to make up all the school you missed and apologize to the town for making everyone think I somehow convinced you to steal my rocket," Jimmy said.

"Uh…" Sheen winced and looked at Nesmith, who was leaning back against the upholstery.

"You might want to do as he says," Nesmith said. "He was the one who rescued us, after all."

"But we're still friends, right?" Sheen said.

"Yes," Jimmy said. "Still friends."

"The three Amigops," Carl said.

"Okay, so, uh…where's the nearest rest-stop? 'Cuz I really have to go," Sheen said. In unison, the group groaned.

"_Sheen_!"

"You sure you were just friends?" Libby said.

"Duh," Sheen said. "You're my Ultra-Lady. And I only liked her 'cuz she reminded me of you. And Cindy. Which is kinda weird if you think about it, because Cindy and I don't get along. But she had your fierceness and your good looks…and Cindy's fighting abilities and…what was I talking about again?"

Libby grimaced. "Are you trying to flatter me or apologize?"

"I dunno," Sheen said. "Oh, hey, look, the sun's coming up."

Even Jimmy, at the ship's helm, looked up. The five humans and one ape looked through the large glass windows to watch. Directly overhead, Zeenu's primary sun was rising. It was daybreak.

* * *

_Nightfall- _November 12th, 2010- April 17th, 2011


End file.
